


New Game +

by Tayani



Series: NG+ [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira remembers everything, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Chat Logs, Eventual Relationships, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Long Shot, M/M, NG+ setting, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Redemption, Romance, Slow Burn, Spoilers For The Entire Game, Weekly Updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 227,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayani/pseuds/Tayani
Summary: Sometimes, changing one's fate does not require much. A conversation going a certain way; a train taken together on a rainy morning.Perhaps all one Akechi Goro needed to find his salvation was a cup of ramen being exchanged for a healthy meal for once......well, that, and Kurusu Akira who remembers the future and is now determined to save him, of course.





	1. The Game Begins... Again

Akira Kurusu blinked, the images flashing behind the windows of his train suddenly sharpening in his eyes as the announcement of _the next stop is Shibuya_ pulled him out of his thoughts. The thoughts that consisted – inevitably – of flashes of _that_ night. The night he decided to turn towards what he was supposed to close his eyes to; the night that ended in his arrest, and resulted in his transfer to another school, another city, another life.

The raven frowned slightly, looking around his surroundings. There was something; some nagging feeling at the very back of his head that steadily grew over the last few days, and now was slowly becoming too chaffing to ignore. An incomprehensible feeling that somehow, everything he was experiencing right now… that he has already seen it all before.

Akira got out on Shibuya station; he was supposed to change for Yongen-Jaya here, but somehow, he didn’t feel like hurrying there. Sojiro Sakura, his new caretaker – the name brought up a vague image of kind look and pink shirt, and a strong scent of coffee, for whatever reason – knew he was supposed to come today, but Akira has been warned to eat out that day, as he will not exactly be waiting with dinner for him. He was planning to get some instant ramen on his way and be done with it, but for some reason – perhaps because of the _déjà vu_ feeling on the back of his head distracting him – the raven got out of the station and started to look around in search of a place to eat at, instead.

Perhaps he should find some good, cheap diner; not in the mood for fast food, Akira took his phone out and unlocked it. He was in the process of typing in _Shibuya restaurants_ when something on the screen caught his eye. Something red and rectangular, shining on his screen that seemed to ripple and shift around the mysterious icon.

… _what was that app..?_

Suddenly, Akira gasped, his hand shooting up to grasp his hair as a shot of strong, sudden pain went through his head. One after the other, images started to slide before his eyes in a flurry that left him feeling sick and dizzy. _Kamoshida. Ryuuji. Ann. Morgana. Madarame and Yusuke, Makoto and Kaneshiro. Futaba, Medjed; Okumura and Haru, the great fiasco, Akechi, Sae and finally, Shido. Their last battle; Yaldabaoth. Satanael, and himself shooting the god right through his face._

_Phantom Thieves. Personas. Metaverse._

_“You look troubled, my friend_.”

_Arsene?_

Akira looked up; the plaza, the famous Shibuya crossing has halted, people standing still where they stopped moving just seconds ago. The red eye pulsated on his phone’s screen, and the familiar figure of blue flame and devilish grin floated in front of him. Akira looked down on himself; his clothes did not change. Right, because he hadn’t awakened to his persona yet… wait, _yet?_ Why did he remember Arsene..? Why was he remembering _the future?_

“Arsene, what is happening?” he finally asked, voice confused and shaky; the question earning a silent cackle from his Persona.

_“Why, this is simply a second run of your game. Are you surprised?”_

“Well, _yes_. Is… I’m not mad, am I? This all… this happened before. I _remember_ it happen, and yet…”

“ _And yet, you already notice changes. Small and inconsequential they might seem, but put together, they may lead you and your friends into another destiny. A chance meeting; a conversation going a certain way; now that you are wiser of the happenings of the future, you might yet play your game in a different fashion.”_

Arsene looked down at Akira, crossing his arms in front of him.

“ _You may yet find a way that will help you mitigate the mistakes you’ve made before and change the fate that once appeared impossible to alter.”_

The flames died down; the memories that were fresh and burning bright in Akira’s mind the seconds before turned dimmer and greyer; no more than a foggy feeling of familiarity and confusion in his mind. The world around him moved, people looking at him strangely as Akira took a few shaky steps forward and fell over with a yelp as he collided into someone walking just from around the corner at a fast pace. Akira groaned when he heard a crunch as his glasses fell off in the scuffle, breaking neatly in two under a foot of a passer-by that disappeared in the crowd the moment later. _Wonderful_.

“Oh… I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going… Are you alright…? Oh no, your glasses!”

Akira froze, slowly raising his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice. Over him, there stood a fairly tall boy with brown hair and polite expression of worry on his face, reaching his gloved hand out to help him get up.

Akechi Goro stood over him, alive and apologetic, and having no idea whom he had just bumped into.

 

* * *

 

“Once again, I need to apologize.”

They were sitting in the same diner that Akira used to frequent, enjoying the atmosphere it had for studying; or the diner he was going to frequent, seeing as it was still April and he didn’t even start his second year of high school yet.

This second run thing was going to give him a headache just because of which grammar forms to use, wasn’t it.

Akechi insisted on paying him back for the glasses, and upon Akira’s protests, he asked to at least take him out for a dinner or something to mitigate the loss. For that, the raven boy agreed readily. He was supposed to eat out anyway, and… well, it was now months before he was supposed to meet Akechi face to face for the first time. He was not going to lose this chance.

“It’s fine, really. I don’t even need them… which incidentally makes me look like some pretentious prick for wearing them in the first place, doesn’t it.” he said with a laugh, before smiling at the waitress as she came to take their orders. Ah, Nostalgic Steak will have never felt this nostalgic, huh?

“You can order some dessert, too, if you want.” Akechi smiled at him lightly, indicating the menu. “I’ll pay; please, it’s the least I can do. I was reading the news on my phone and wasn’t looking where I was going… and you lost your glasses because of me, too.”

“I’m telling you, it’s alright.” Akira chuckled. Who would have thought how much something like that could fluster the detective? With the smirk that will soon become his signature one, Akira decided that what the hell, he could try flustering him more. Akechi always went on and on about how different Akira was from everyone else, and what a fresh perspective he had; why should he prove him wrong now?

“Besides, I got free dinner with a hot guy in exchange.” he chimed in lightly, making it uncertain whether he was joking or not. “Glasses aren’t that big of a price.”

Just as expected, Akechi flushed and stared at him, uncertain whether he was supposed to laugh or not. Akira simply smiled again and tilted his head.

“Sorry, sorry.” he chuckled. “My name’s Kurusu Akira, by the way. No matter what a chance meeting it was, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah… yes. My name is Akechi Goro; I hope we get along, Kurusu-san.”

“Akechi Goro as in, the high school detective?”

Well, it’s not like there was any need for Akira to pretend not to know whom Akechi was. The detective was way too sharp to fall for that, and would have probably thought Akira was some creepy stalking fan. Like this, it would seem more natural, and perhaps he will manage to get the boy to like him enough to make friends with him a lot earlier. Perhaps what Arsene said was true. Perhaps there was a chance to alter fate; to raise the heavy, watertight door and pull the boy on the other side out of there, to save his life…

The boy that was looking at him right now with his perfectly sweet, polite detective prince mask on, smiling and nodding with a little hum.

“I’m surprised you’ve heard of me. It’s kind of embarrassing…”

“Why? I think you’re amazing.” Akira said with an easy smile. If he remembered correctly, Akechi enjoyed praise, undeserved or otherwise, and… ah, yes, there it was, the little self-satisfied glint in these pretty eyes. “Back in my hometown, you had quite a following. Never really my area, y’know, squealing girls and gossip, but I did watch a few programs you were in. It was… pretty inspiring, the way you could handle all these adults so easily like that. I’m kind of jealous, I can’t get anyone to treat me as anything but a kid.”

Akechi was smiling throughout his speech, but it was clear the last bit surprised him. _Yes, detective_ , Akira thought. _I’m sure you’re used to being praised on your appearance and wits, but how about your acting skills? I wonder if anyone ever praised these_.

“Oh… that’s what you took from it?” Akechi laughed, and to Akira’s surprise, the laughter was definitely genuine. “You’re something different, Kurusu-san. Hm… you said I had a following in your _hometown_. You’re not from around here, then?”

“Why won’t you figure it out, detective?” Akira smiled back with a little smirk. He could see Akechi bite his lip briefly and narrow his eyes. Was he happy with the challenge? Or annoyed by it? Damn, they knew each other so briefly back then, Akira couldn’t easily tell if what he was saying was right or wrong. He’ll need to really work on this one, huh…

“Let’s see…” Oh, okay, he did like it. Good. “You said _back in my hometown_ , so you’re not from Tokyo, indeed, but the uniform you’re wearing is for Shujin Academy, isn’t it? It’s brand new, too, but your pin says you’re on your second year, so you transferred schools; perhaps you haven’t started classes just yet. Now, that means the transfer was a sudden thing. Something happened; Shujin isn’t the kind of school people try to get into no matter what, no, you were _moved_ there. That could mean you needed to be in Tokyo or that you couldn’t be at your hometown anymore…”

Akira had to say, he was surprised. He knew – on account of Akechi confessing to it himself in that other future – that the detective mostly solved crimes he himself committed, and that was how he gained his fame. To witness his deductive skills first hand was surprising, especially with how accurate it was; and the evident surprise on his face seemed to please the detective greatly.

“How did I do, then?” he asked with another at least half-genuine smile.

“Perfectly.” Akira grinned back at him. “Say, is the spot for your Watson open for taking, my dear Sherlock?” he chuckled quietly, though his eyes turned downcast afterwards, and the next words came out soft and as emotionless as he could make them.

“I… well. I used to live in a small town, a few hours ride from here. You’re right that I transferred to Shujin; this is my first time in Tokyo, in fact. I’m supposed to move into the house of a man who’s going to take care of me from now on.”

“What about your parents?”

“My parents…” Akira said, trying to keep the venom from his voice. It wasn’t easy. “Were happy to get rid of me. You’re right, the transfer was sudden, and something did happen. See, I… Well. On my way home from cram school one evening, I saw a guy push himself onto a woman. She was crying for help, trying to fend him off; he tried to force her into his car. I couldn’t just walk away…

"I pushed him away from her, and he fell over; cut his head on something, I don’t know. The next thing I knew, _I_ was being arrested, and put on probation with criminal record. The man, he was a politician or something; the police only took a look at him and bought his story over mine.”

Akira laughed humourlessly, before looking up at Akechi. _You would know all about shitty adults screwing you over, huh, detective? In this case, even the adult in question is the same for the two of us…_

“I’m sorry… I realize this is not something I’m supposed to be talking about with strangers… I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Akechi-san.” Akira said quietly. “It’s… I suppose it’s very easy to talk to you. You’re quite dangerous in this regard.”

“No, don’t apologize, Kurusu-kun.” Akechi’s eyes were surprisingly soft as he looked back at him. “I’m dealing with crime daily at my job; and you do not seem like a criminal to me. I believe what you’ve told me to be true. It wouldn’t be an uncommon occurrence, sadly, for something such as this to happen.” And then, after a moment, the detective added, as nonchalantly as he could – and not enough to fool Akira.

“Do you… know, perhaps, which politician was it..?”

“No, sorry… I do remember some things, but it was very dark, and everything happened so fast…” Akira smiled an apologetic smile. “I do remember thinking he looked pretty young for someone who could make police lick their shoes, but that’s all I got.”

“Huh…”

“Are you on my case, detective?” Akira smiled lightly, his smile brightening as they got their food. “You don’t need to bother, really. The ruling wasn’t _that_ bad. It’s true I’m pretty angry and… well, it was anything but fair, but at the same time…” Akira sighed lightly and shook his head.

“You know, after what happened, I’m almost relived to be in Tokyo, and not at my hometown.”

“Your parents…?”

“Yeah… it’s not easy to live with people who didn’t believe you and threw you out as an embarrassment without a second thought.”

“Believe it or not, Kurusu-kun, I… understand that, at least.”

Akira looked up; his eyes met with Akechi’s. He had to say, he was surprised. Not even first hour of them talking, and Akechi already started to open up..? The detective had to think the same, because he scurried off into his shell immediately after saying that, the polite smile back on his face.

“Why won’t we eat for now? Our food will get cold.”

 

* * *

 

They ate and chatted throughout their meal – on topics much less serious and much more entertaining. Akira had no idea Akechi could talk like this; or that he got lost in his own thoughts so often while talking at his own leisure, in this unguarded, honest way. Whenever they talked before, it almost always felt like the boy watched himself from the distance, as if he was trying to make sure he talked in a way complimenting his public image. Here, in this little diner and with whom Akechi thought to be just a random stranger, the detective let himself talk freely of his passion for cycling and rock climbing, of the pains of staring at TV shows; Akira found out Akechi had to run his food blog because of his higher-ups telling him to, and how he hated the fact that he was being made into an idol instead of being treated seriously as a detective.

“I thought it would be nice, being famous, having this whole attention on myself… turns out it’s really not.” he sighed as they finished their meals and sat there with their coffees – no match for Leblanc’s, but still pretty good. Akechi let out another long sigh, before laughing quietly and shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, I keep whining… you said it’s easy to talk to me, Kurusu-kun, but it’s the other way around! I haven’t had a conversation like this in ages. It’s too easy to talk to you.”

“I’m glad. I liked chatting with you a lot.” Akira smiled brightly at the other boy. Yes; he did, he definitely did. This was all just so different and new; like talking to a completely different person. And a person he enjoyed a lot more than the detective he once knew.

“Really? Even though all I do is keep whining about my job?”

“Yeah, really. Seriously, I guess when I first heard of you, I imagined… I don’t know. This stuck-up guy only famous because he was pretty. And you turned out to be someone who’s cool and easy to talk to and pretty damn brilliant at that.” Akira smiled at him; Akechi was obviously confused by his statement, but there was a shy smile on his lips that quickly took over.

“…thanks, Kurusu-kun. I don’t think anyone ever told me they like my, uh… _non_ -public persona more than the public one.”

“Well, so far I like both, but this one a lot more.” Akira chuckled, before winking at him. “The smartass cycling detective one.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Why? It’s the truth.”

They laughed again as they finished their coffee and gathered their things. Akechi offered to walk Akira to the station, as he himself lived in the vicinity; and Akira was happy to let him, even asking how could he get to Yongen-Jaya the easiest and letting Akechi know he’s supposed to be staying at a café called Leblanc, and that he should totally come visit. Akechi seemed to be very much up for it, for his part, before something made him frown.

“So… you don’t have school tomorrow, right? Since it’s Sunday?”

“No, but I’ll probably need to go anyway. You know, introduce myself, find out how much they don’t want me there and stuff.” Akira shrugged. He went through all that once already, he didn’t much care about the second time. It’ll be nice to see Kawakami again, he supposed.

“Will you be going by train?”

The softest hint of hesitation could be felt in the detective’s voice, and Akira frowned, tilting his head, before it came to him. Oh damn, right, he forgot about this. The subway accident; Akechi must be planning this already. _How do I stop him_..? Akira wondered, only to realize this was too late. He didn’t think he could get Arsene to truly awaken yet, and he wasn’t friendly enough with Akechi to convince him not to do that. He _could_ call the station, anonymously, but what would he say..? _One of your employees tomorrow will have a psychotic breakdown?_ He didn’t even know which train and what time it was! The helplessness gnawed at Akira’s heart as he tried to mull it over before Akechi would grow suspicious of his silence. He knew what was going to happen; this was his second chance. Was he really unable to stop it…?

 “…no.” he murmured, trying to maintain his curious expression. No matter which way he looked, he couldn’t think of anything he could do here. Akechi had his orders from Shido; and he needed more than one chance meeting to get the boy detective out from under the man’s influence. Damn it, damn it all to hell…

“I mean, I hope not. My caretaker might not want to let me ride his car, so…” he shrugged lightly, letting out a sigh. It was a weak incentive, he knew, but it was always something. Akechi most likely won’t defy Shido just for a chance a boy he just met might be on said train. He didn’t have much hope for it working. With a silent sigh, Akira tried to get the hopelessness out of his mind. At least no one died in that incident; it was mental shutdowns they had to stop Akechi from causing, first and foremost.

“Why are you asking? Did you want to meet up? I’d love to meet you tomorrow anyway if you have time. In the evening? Like, you could come visit me at Leblanc, and this time hear me whining about my living conditions and stuff.”

“Well, if you’ll throw in some coffee as a fee, perhaps. I did enjoy spending time with you, Kurusu-kun” Akechi smiled, looking vaguely relived. Only now did it occur to Akira that… that Akechi was actually worried for his sake. It felt strangely nice.

“Alright, so let’s exchange chat IDs and email addresses, yeah? I’d leave it to fate to make us meet again, but I’d prefer to have your contact info just in case.”

 

* * *

 

There was something strangely calming about the warm light that flooded Leblanc as Akira stepped inside of it and introduced himself to Sojiro, barely stopping a broad smile that threatened to take over his face at the man’s grumbling and his lectures. Gods, this was how they started, wasn’t it? And his cosy room in the attic, how bad it looked right now, with cobwebs and dust and dirt everywhere…

He let Sojiro tell him the rules – ones he had already learnt by heart and broke half a dozen times in this another future – before he was left alone, and sat on the bed, looking around the dingy place.

 

 **Akira:** do I look like a box to you, detective?

 **Akechi:** …a box? I take it you got home safely, Kurusu-kun?

 **Akira:** I just got put in a storage area

 **Akechi:** I’m inclined to think you’re exaggerating

 **Akira:** AM I THO.

 **Akira:** _attic.jpg_

 **Akechi:** …I stand corrected. Will you be alright?

 **Akira:** yeah, don’t worry. I’m gonna clean up now and tomorrow you can check how much nicer it looks (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

 **Akechi:** I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it tomorrow, but if I do, I’ll remember.

 

Akira smiled lightly, putting his phone away and changing into home clothes, getting ready to clean. Even during the short trip to Yongen, he already texted Akechi a few times, asking if he was home already, thanking him for dinner, teasing him a bit about the mishap with his glasses… it was nice and refreshing to be able to talk with the detective like this, even if Akira had to admit he missed his other friends. Well, it was alright. Day after tomorrow, he’ll meet Ryuuji and Ann, and in a few more days they’ll all be friends again. It will be fun, to once again gather up his own little ragtag group… hopefully, this time, with Crow with them from the start.

As he dusted and cleaned and washed the floors, Akira thought hard on what he remembered from that other future; the one that still didn’t come to pass. He definitely didn’t come to Leblanc this late back then. It was still light out, and he was cleaning into early evening, after which he ate some cup ramen and ended up being so bored he went to sleep early. Well, this future changed for the better, then. Akira sighed and looked at his phone once more. The Meta-Nav app was still there, and Akira started to wonder whether tonight he will be visiting Velvet Room again, and whether it will be Igor and Lavenza or Yaldabaoth and Caroline and Justine inside of it. He’d much prefer the first option, especially if the Velvet Room occupants were aware of him being not completely unfamiliar with them.

Either way, right now, he considered his rehabilitation more or less complete. The game was done once, and Akira knew how to escape his ruin; he was ready to make the good choices again. It was someone else’s rehabilitation he was concerned with this time around.

_How do I get Akechi Goro to join the Phantom Thieves right from the start..? How do I make him make friends?_

This was the key, Akira had no doubt of it. Back then, on the ship… didn’t Akechi say he wished he could have met Akira earlier? Well, this wasn’t exactly what they might have been hoping for – Akechi was a killer by now, Akira knew it – but it was _something_.

 _I’m not letting you die there again. No way_.

By the time night fell and Sojiro climbed up to comment on his cleaning, and remind him again not to do anything stupid, he was left alone. Akira took a quick shower, already missing the public bath on the other side of the street, changed into his pyjamas and laid on his bed, idly twirling his phone between his fingers before opening the chat again.

**Akira:** Akechi-san, are you asleep?

 **Akechi:** not yet. Did you need anything?

 **Akira:** Nope, just wanted to wish you a goodnight

 

For a long time, there was no reply, but Akira didn’t mind. He suspected why that might be. Finally, he could see a typing icon on the screen and then, Akechi’s reply shone there.

**Akechi:** Goodnight, Kurusu-kun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy - a little early - Birthday to our pancake boy! This is something I've been itching to start publishing for a long while now, and let me tell you; this one really is a looooooooong shot. I hope you're ready for a long, wild ride, friends! Current chapter count is an estimation; the way writing's going so far, I think it might actually exceed that number.


	2. Safe Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi finds himself in need of something that would take his mind off of things, and Akira is all too happy to provide. 
> 
> The next day, first day at school turns almost deadly, and a talk in a diner leads to some unforeseen events.

The accident still happened, and it grated on Akira’s nerves more than it really should.

Of course, he was aware that a simple, one-time talk and some texting could not have had the effect of stopping Akechi from fulfilling another one of Shido’s despicable orders. Still, it somehow felt like personal failure, sitting in Sojiro’s car and listening about it on the radio as the older man grumbled about the traffic. Akira tried to uphold the conversation – with not that great of a result – and then resigned, taking out his phone and opening the chat. Well, as much as he hated to do it, he needed to get Akechi’s conscience to work a bit here. At least he hoped he was going on about it the right way.

**Akira:** Listen, I’m stuck in traffic on my way back from school and they keep talking about this accident on the radio.

 **Akira:** You live in Shibuya, right?

 **Akira:** You weren’t there, were you? Are you safe?

 **Akechi:** Thank you for your concern, Kurusu-kun. I am indeed safe.

 **Akira:** I’m glad (ノ^∇^)

 **Akira:** I was worried there for a moment.

 **Akira:** You sure you’re alright, though?

 **Akira:** you sound kinda, idk, stressed

 **Akechi:** …I sound stressed over text?

 **Akira:** yep

 **Akechi:** how

 **Akira:** Dunno. Lack of emojis?

 **Akechi:** I hardly ever use emojis, Kurusu-kun.

 **Akira:** Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I saw your foodie blog.

 **Akechi:** That is a different thing entirely!!!!

 

Akira grinned to himself and looked up, biting his lip as he thought of a good response to that. Sojiro was looking at him quizzically, and Akira turned to him when he noticed it, tilting his head in silent question. Sojiro chuckled and indicated his phone.

“That a friend?”

“Oh… yes. Yesterday, we bumped into one another and my glasses fell off and broke.” Akira smiled sheepishly, pushing the glued-back glasses up his nose. The break was clean, and he hardly needed more than a few drops of strong glue to mend it almost without sign of breaking.

“He got so flustered over it, he invited me for dinner. Turns out he’s my age, just goes to a different high school. We kind of ended up exchanging contacts.”

“Huh… and here I hoped it would be a girl.” Sojiro sighed, but from experience, Akira knew the older man was pleasantly surprised. “I suppose it’s good you’re making friends this quickly in a new place, though. And that boy sounds like a respectable guy. Stay away from bad influences, alright?”

_Bad influences? Like a teenage serial killer, you mean?_

“I will, Boss.”

Akira smiled and looked down at his phone as it vibrated softly once more. His expression quickly turned to that of concern, though, as he read the message.

**Akechi:** Kurusu-kun, could I take you up on that coffee offer…? I realize it’s out of nowhere, but I had a very stressful day and… perhaps a conversation could help calm me down.

 **Akira:** Sure

 **Akira:** The café’s name’s Leblanc

 **Akira:** We’re still stuck in traffic, but as trains all stopped, I think we might get there about the same time. You’re gonna cycle?

 **Akechi:** Mhm. If need be, I’ll wait for you.

 

“..so.” Akira hummed, sending Akechi a thumbs-up and turning again to Sojiro, biting his lip. “About that friend of mine…”

 

* * *

 

 _Reading all these charm-boosting books totally paid off_.

Akira grinned to himself as he got out of the car and followed Sojiro to the café. He was allowed to leave it open and use it to meet with his friend, as long as he would promise not to touch anything and not to stay up too long, and then to close the shop down and go to sleep so that he could go to school tomorrow like a respectable student. Akira agreed readily to all of the above, and only asked if he could make coffee for Akechi and himself. He told the truth about how his father was a coffee addict, and then lied about how thanks to that, he could brew a proper cup. Well, it wasn’t like he could go, _oh, your future self already taught me everything_. Sojiro watched him with his brow raised and told him he won’t let him use anything until he demonstrates, hence the both of them moving towards Leblanc at present.

Akechi was there already, his hybrid bicycle propped against Leblanc’s wall beside the boy himself. He looked… pretty terrible, Akira had to admit. There were dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes and his face looked pale and tired. Clear signs of just coming back from the Metaverse, even if it was impossible for Akechi to know Akira might notice it and come to this particular conclusion.

“Sorry, I made you wait.” the raven-haired boy waved apologetically, catching Akechi’s attention and earning a soft, tired smile.

“Not at all,” the other boy said, pushing himself off the wall. “I’m accustomed to waiting in lines to get to restaurants; this is really no different. Ah, you must be Kurusu-kun’s caretaker.” Akechi bowed to Sojiro politely, making the older man grumble something about at least one of them having proper manners. “My name is Akechi Goro. I’m sorry for being an inconvenience.”

“Well, I’m glad the kid is making friends.” Sojiro shrugged lightly, opening the store as Akira moved closer to Akechi and grinned at him knowingly. “Besides, he was boasting just before what a nice cup of coffee he was going to make you… I’m almost curious to watch what a spectacular failure _that’s_ gonna be.”

_Oh, it won’t be any failure, Boss. After all, I learnt from the best._

“Okay, so sit here by the counter, yeah? I’ll be right back with you, just gotta wash my hands and make you that coffee.”

“Ah… that’s really alright, though…”

“Nonsense, you gotta try my coffee. I’d give you some food, too, but I don’t want to try my luck here.” Akira winked, and he was absolutely certain he noticed a little twinkle of amusement in Sojiro’s eyes as the older man looked at him. Washing his hands and donning an apron, he felt Akechi’s eyes on himself as he tried to remember what kind of coffee the detective liked best. It wasn’t the house blend… he loved that, yeah, but he liked _that one_ even better…

Soon, three steaming cups were sitting in front of the three of them. Sojiro took the first sip, before frowning at Akira, who had to stop himself from grinning. Finally, the older man laughed and ruffled his hair roughly.

“Well, that’s not what I expected from a delinquent… oh shoot.” he looked at Akechi with a frown, but Akira shook his head.

“It’s fine, Akechi-san knows about my situation. And, uh, thanks Boss. I’ll be happy to help around the shop whenever you need me.”

Few grumbled instructions later, and they were finally left alone. Akira finished doing some washing up before leaning against the counter in front of Akechi, smiling at him gently as he watched him sip the coffee with a relaxed, tranquil expression on face. He didn’t say a word; only looked at him, and it took the detective a moment to notice they were alone and Akira was done with his chores.

“…god, I’m sorry. I get lost in thought so easily when I’m tired… perhaps it wasn’t the best idea for me to come visit after all. Then again, this café is such a nice, relaxing place… I didn’t think I’d feel this calm just by sitting here.” he sighed softly. Akira smiled a little, encouraging smile and took his own cup, sipping quietly.

“How’s the coffee?”

“It’s perfect. I have no idea how you guessed how I take it.”

“Well, we drunk coffee yesterday, right? I remember how you ordered yours.”

“I see.” Akechi smiled a weak smile and took another sip, sighing in contentment.

“So… rough day at work, huh?”

“You can say that, yes. It’s just been so stressful lately, and it feels like no matter what I do, I’m not good enough.” The detective sighed, shaking his head. He really was tired; and surprisingly, Akira knew he was telling the truth. Not the full one, not in the most straight-forward way possible, but truth nevertheless.

“It sounds like your boss’s a dickhead, then.” he shrugged, and then grinned at Akechi’s alarmed, almost scandalized look. “What? You’re like, the most brilliant person I’ve met, live or on TV. If they don’t appreciate you for it, then it’s their problem, really. I’d dump the job if I were you and could afford it.”

Akechi stared at him for a good few minutes more, obviously still at a loss of words. And then, the blush he noticed yesterday already crept up the boy’s cheeks and he quickly raised his almost-empty cup to his lips, trying to hide it somehow.

“I… well. Thank you, Kurusu-kun.” he mumbled, fighting a little smile, though that quickly turned sour. “I cannot leave my job, however. That’d be… losing everything.”

Akira’s expression was soft as he leaned over the counter, smiling at the detective gently.

“Y’know… when I got moved here, I lost everything. Like, literally. I lost my school, my parents, my friends, my town… everything I knew. But I’ve been here two days, and I got a grumpy, kind caretaker and a brilliant friend, so… my point is once you lose everything, you can only gain stuff, I guess.”

“I suppose.” Akechi frowned lightly. As he watched him sit there in silence, Akira could almost see cogs turning underneath the other boy’s skull as he, once again, got completely lost in his own thoughts; only to emerge a few minutes later with an almost shy…

“… _friend_..?”

“Well, you tell me if we’re not friends. We’re kind of sitting not a meter away from one another, drinking coffee at a ridiculous hour and having a heart-to-heart. Works as a friend definition for me.”

Akechi laughed quietly at that, shaking his head lightly before speaking again.

“You’re really something else, Kurusu-kun. But… I suppose I’d happily be your friend. Now… tell me all about how your school introduction went, alright? I’d rather not dwell anymore on my stresses and work.”

 

* * *

 

They did talk, deep into the night. At some point, the doorbell rung, and Sojiro entered once more, gruffly setting down a bag of steamed buns for the two of them, mumbling how he went to the grocery store right before closing and these were on sale. Akira and Akechi both thanked him, and chuckled to one another once they were left alone once again, munching on the food. They moved to Akira’s room soon afterwards – both because Akechi insisted on seeing it for himself, and because they might get in trouble if they keep the lights in Leblanc all lit up – and by the time they started to run out of conversation topics, it was past midnight and both of them felt warm and pleasantly sleepy.

“…want to spend the night? Trains stopped by now…” Akira yawned, stretching lightly and cracking his knuckles, chuckling as the sound made Akechi grimace.

“Please don’t do that.”

“Why not? Creeps you out?” Akira grinned, making a point of cracking them again – which pulled a groan out of the young detective. They both laughed once more and Akechi leaned back on the couch, shaking his head with a giggle.

“I haven’t… laughed this much in years, I feel. My stomach hurts. And my cheeks.”

“ _Good_. You should laugh more, you look pretty when you laugh.”

Akechi blushed and scowled at him simultaneously, and Akira grinned back at him. Ah, it was so easy to get the detective all flustered. How funny, really…

“You joke too much.”

“And you don’t joke enough.”

Akechi shook his head again, but he was smiling. He really was smiling more than Akira ever saw him smile before; and it was all so genuine, too. It was… almost shocking. And even more than that, it made Akira think back to the boy he knew from the future; the detective that always wore a perfectly fake smile and always pretended. Look at him now, laughing helplessly with some guy he met the day before. Akechi was so… so _hungry_ for a simple thing like this, it seemed. Chatting about school, work, little funny stories from their lives and hobbies they had. He was so much more animated, too; gesturing wildly at some points, tilting his head as he listened attentively when Akira told him about something he was interested in, giggling and throwing pillows at him when the raven teased him for the hundredth time that evening.

“Seriously, though, if you don’t wanna go back during the night, you’re welcome to crash on my couch. Or my bed, and I’ll take the couch, you _are_ my guest, after all.”

Akechi shook his head with a gentle smile, rubbing his eyes.

“No, I couldn’t possibly. If not for anything else, I wouldn’t want your caretaker to be even more cross with you. Besides, I have my bike and it’s not that long of a ride from here. I’ll keep to well-lit streets.” the detective smiled lightly, and Akira nodded, though didn’t try to hide his disappointment. He knew Akechi needed to see someone was sad he was leaving, for one thing.

“Well, let me know when you get home, alright?” Akira said, standing up and helping Akechi up with him, smiling at him gently and being surprised at seeing his smile returned. “And try to get some sleep. Damn, we shouldn’t have stayed this long before a school day, should we..? Hopefully we won’t oversleep.”

“Hopefully.” Akechi chuckled softly. “Then again, you do have a delinquent image to uphold. Being fashionably late on your first day at school would have been right up your alley, right?”

“Oh, shut up you honour student.”

“ _How_ can you make _that_ sound like an insult..?”

Laughing and in good moods, they walked down into the dark, silent café; Akechi slipped outside and got his bike, getting onto it and looking at Akira with a strangely soft look in his eyes.

“…thank you, Kurusu-kun.” he mumbled after a moment. “I… usually, when I have a day like that, I feel terrible for the next week, but… you helped me relax. I feel a lot better now.”

Akira returned the smile and made an exaggerated swan bow, making the detective smile again.

“Hey, always happy to help. Besides… I had a lot of fun. If you didn’t come, I’d just rot in that attic and worry about tomorrow. It’s good to know someone’s there having my back, no matter how’s school going to be.”

“Yes, I understand how you feel.” Akechi chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I’d love to meet up again sometime. I’ll be busy tomorrow, but… ah, well. We’ll agree when to meet over the phone, yes? I could show you around Shibuya if you’ll have some free time over the weekend.”

“Sounds like a date.” Akira grinned, and stood by the door for a long time after Akechi shook his head, waved his goodbye and left, making his way out onto the main road. Akira leaned against the door and sighed, before getting back inside.

 _I guess the grand question of how to make Akechi Goro make friends just solved itself. Who would have thought he’d be this nice to hang out with_ …?

Akira smiled to himself, washing up quickly and slipping under his covers. He waited until Akechi dutifully sent him a message of how he was still alive and not kidnapped or murdered by anyone yet, and sent the detective a goodnight before closing his eyes. It was almost one in the morning now, and before he fell asleep, Akira couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of how much screwed with Morgana he’d be if he went to sleep at such hours when the cat was in charge of his sleeping schedule.

 

* * *

 

 **Akira:** Something absolutely freaky just happened, I almost died and I need to meet up

 **Akira:** please

 **Akechi:** what do you mean you almost died?????

 **Akechi:** Kurusu, what happened?!

 **Akechi:** Are you okay?!

 **Akira:** Yes, sorry, had to introduce myself to the class. I’m fine now. I think

 **Akechi:** what do you mean introduce, it’s like 4th period now

 **Akira:** yes okay it’s complicated alright?!

 **Akira:** look I’m gonna be screwed when I get to Leblanc. Can we meet up after school?

 **Akira:** I really need to talk

 **Akechi:** Can’t you tell me now?

 **Akira:** I told you, it’s complicated! It happens to concern a castle, a monster-talking-cat and magic!

 **Akechi:** …are you high?

 **Akechi:** as much as I like you, Kurusu-kun, you know I’ll need to report you if you’re using drugs

 **Akira:** I’m not! Seriously, I need to talk with you! I have no idea what to think of it myself and you’re like the one person I can talk about this right now, so please?!

 **Akechi:** …alright

 **Akechi:** I have two hours before cram school

 **Akechi:** Is that okay?

 **Akira:** Yes, thank you

 **Akira:** the diner? My turn to treat you

 **Akechi:** sounds good, I’ll be waiting

 

* * *

 

Akechi’s worried look when he saw him enter the diner and walk towards him made something warm bloom in Akira’s heart. Okay, so no matter how happy he was to meet Ryuuji and Ann again, them he already knew and loved as his dear friends. This one, though… to think Akechi will actually worry about his well-being like this.

“Kurusu? You look…”

“Like shit? That’s how I feel, so you’re not wrong.”

“I was going to go for a euphemism there, but suit yourself.”

Akira smiled lightly and flopped onto the seat, sighing as he pulled out his phone and shoved it pretty much right into Akechi’s face. He thought long and hard about how to talk to the detective about what had happened, and how to convince him to help them with taking down Kamoshida; and in the end, decided that shock therapy was the best course of action there.

Admittedly, Akechi had better control over himself than he gave him credit for. He blinked, eyes wide and face pale as the Meta-Nav app stared back at him from Akira’s screen, but swallowed whatever questions he had and instead, looked with perfectly questioning look at the raven himself.

“ _This_ shit somehow got onto my phone two days ago, when I arrived in Tokyo.” Akira explained, tucking his phone away. “That eye app. I deleted it three times already, and it keeps coming back. I thought it doesn’t do anything at first, but today as we were waiting for the rain to lessen up a bit… Well, wait, okay, so by _we_ I mean me and this girl who happened to share the same roof I was hiding under, Takamaki Ann. Anyway, this teacher pulls up, gives her a lift, and then Sakamoto said…”

“Kurusu, slow down.” Akechi was frowning, raising his hand in the air. Akira had to stop himself from laughing. He knew he was rambling; he had a part of confused first-time visitor to the Metaverse to act out, after all.

“Sorry.” he sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Me and that girl, Takamaki-san, were waiting for the rain to stop so we could get to school, this morning. The teacher pulled over and gave her a lift, and I stayed there, when this kind of… vulgar blond boy in our uniform joined. His name was Sakamoto Ryuuji, and he told me how that teacher was a piece of shit, thought himself the king of the castle and all. So… I was in the process of deleting that app again while he said that, and I don’t know, it had to open and pick it up… suffice to say the moment we moved and tried to get to school, we arrived at a giant castle instead.” Akira sighed, shaking his head.

“I get it if you don’t believe me…”

“I do. Go on.”

Akira looked up at him. Akechi’s face was tense, as was his whole body, but his wine-red eyes were focused and attentive and not altogether cold. Ah, he already knew what was happening, Akira saw. He just didn’t know what to think about it yet.

“Well, Sakamoto insisted we go inside and ask what’s going on. We did, but there were some… guards, I guess? Dressed all up in armour and everything. They knocked us out, and I woke up in a cell… and then, the weirdest thing happened. There came that teacher, but also… definitely not that teacher. He was dressed different and his eyes were shining yellow. He acted completely different, too, like some lunatic. The guards grabbed Sakamoto and the bastard tried to kill him; they held me back, but I couldn’t just let him die like that! And then, I heard this voice…”

Akechi took in a sharp breath. For a moment, he stared at Akira with an unreadable expression; it looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, the waitress came to get their order. As Akechi seemed to be still in shock, Akira ordered a pile of pancakes for both of them and sighed, continuing his story when she went away.

“I… can’t really describe it. All of a sudden, there was this voice, like someone shouting in my mind. There was a mask on my face, I have no idea how it got there, but I knew I need to pull it off and I did, and then… then Arsene appeared.”

“Arsene..?”

“I… there was this power, all of a sudden. A power I could use. Throwing the guards off of Sakamoto was so easy; and we ran out and closed the cell with Kamoshida inside it and tried to run away from the castle, but we were still lost. My clothes changed, too, without me realizing. And then we met Morgana… remember that talking monster cat I wrote you about? Well, we found it in one of the cells, and it… _he_ , I guess… agreed to guide us out if we freed him from that cell. We did, and he kept his word; he even showed me how to fight with Arsene, the thing he called my Persona. He had one of those, too. And we escaped, and the moment we turned back, the castle disappeared and we were four periods late to school.”

Akira sighed, leaning back on his seat and entertaining himself with watching how his story affected Akechi. For a long time, the boy detective was silent, watching him, as if he couldn’t decide how he was feeling. His face was serious and focused, his clever, russet eyes looking at Akira thoughtfully. The raven wondered what was Akechi thinking of so intensely. Did he consider him a threat? Did he think of reporting back to Shido that the Metaverse has been discovered by another one with powers similar to his own? The danger was definitely there, and yet the possibilities of what might happen were endless. He had to risk it, though. He knew he did.

Then, as their food arrived and the silence still hung heavy between them, Akechi seemed to have decided; and with a swift move pulled out his own phone, showing it to the raven.

Akira blinked in astonishment. Whatever he had expected from Akechi to say or do, it was not that.

The red eye of Meta-Nav app blinked back at him from the detective’s screen.


	3. The Bad Influence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi opens up a bit on the topic of his abilities as a Persona user.
> 
> Ryuuji and Akira plan to return to Kamoshida's castle, and Akira tries to get the detective to join them.

“Do you remember saying we might only need to rely on fate to make us meet again? Perhaps… you were not completely wrong about that, Kurusu-kun.”

“You… have it too?”

Akira looked at Akechi thoughtfully. He knew, of course – from the future he remembered – that the detective was a Persona user, and for years before he himself awakened to Arsene. To see Akechi admit it, though; and so easily, with such a deep level of trust, it felt… almost incomprehensible. Why would he..? Why would he confide in a boy he had just met, their feeble “friendship” barely lasting the few days they knew each other for..?

Then again, perhaps this was exactly why. The situation they were in was completely different. By the time they started to talk on more or less regular basis in this other future, Akechi already started to suspect him, and the Phantom Thieves were already formed and notorious. Why would the detective worry about it now, that neither the Phantom Thieves nor other users of the Metaverse were known to him? For all he knew, Akira was a lost kid like him, and their meeting was simply a miraculous coincidence… or _fate_.

“Yes… I had for a while now, actually. Not that I used it much.” Akechi said in a careful, thoughtful voice, as if he was searching for the right words. “Mind you, I… I never actually seen what you describe. Castles and kings… I suppose it is possible, though, in that other world. What I saw when I ventured there was hardly more than the subway system, twisted into something strange, out of a nightmare.”

“Does it mean you have a Persona, too?”

“Ah… yes. I do.”

“How’s it called?”

Akechi looked away, hesitating, before he murmured the name quietly.

“…Loki.”

Oh… well, that was another surprise. Threat or not, Akira would have expected the detective to tell him of his more noble, more pleasing persona, Robin Hood, instead of going for wild, chaotic Loki, the one he used to kill. The surprise must have shown on his face, because Akechi frowned at him, tilting his head questioningly.

“…why are you surprised?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Akira chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “Loki? As in, the Norse god, right?  Wouldn’t _Sherlock Holmes_ be more appropriate? That would fit my Arsene nicely, too…”

“Oh, shut up. And for your information, being a detective is not the only thing I am in life.”

“Nope, but neither are you a trickster god… right? Now that I think of it, though, maybe you are. I always liked Loki the most when reading Norse myths… he was the kind of god who both wreaked havoc and fixed it right back. I remember reading somewhere that he was the force that made the life interesting…”

“…you really think so?”

“Well, yeah. I might not look it, but I was quite fascinated with myths and legends when I was little… then again, I guess most kids had a period like that. Loki was the character that always made me laugh. Like you do.” Akira smiled, and Akechi looked away, a hint of a blush on his cheeks.

“Loki was the evil god in the end, though. He brought on the Ragnarok, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, after the gods imprisoned him and made a snake drip venom on his face for a thousand years. I’d say he had a reason to feel a little bit salty about this.”

Akechi snorted, shaking his head.

“You can turn everything into a joke, can’t you?”

“My very special talent. Still, coming back to that other world thingy… so you’ve been there before? I mean, obviously you had… you must know a lot more about it than I do, then.”

“I really don’t. I didn’t meet any suspicious cats.”

Akira chuckled quietly.

“So… how did _you_ awaken to that power..? Was it in a castle, too? Wait, no, you said you didn’t see any castles…”

Akechi hesitated before answering; Akira gave him time. It was a rare chance, a very rare one, to see a bit more of the detective’s true self; and even more so that he chose to tell Akira about Loki instead of Robin. It still mystified him a little bit.

Finally, the detective bit his lip and looked up at him.

“…I won’t be able to tell you everything, for… very personal reasons. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, sure. I understand.” Akira smiled encouragingly, and Akechi hesitantly returned that smile.

“I… It was very similar to the way your story played out. I saw that app installed on my phone, and tried to delete it without success. One day, it picked up on my conversation; there was a name I said that was a hit. After that, it took a bit of figuring out which other words to use… you need to put in the location and distortion, too, you see. I guess you got lucky with the _king of the castle_ comment that guy you told me about used. All of a sudden, I was… transported. I was on a ship…”

“…a ship?”

Oh shit. Oh _shit_. The first place Akechi landed in was… _Shido’s_ Palace, of all people? Well, Akira supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised, knowing Akechi, but still… This place was _murderous_ , even after all the training and strengthening his Personas he did; and Akechi landed there just like that, unprepared..? It was hard not to feel _very_ sorry for him…

“…yes. I suppose that’s… it might be different, the building, depending on the name you say. I… back then, I honestly didn’t know what was happening, and the first person I asked for directions shot me in the abdomen.” Akechi winced, his gloved hand moving to cover the – probably – non-existent scar. Metaverse injuries were a lot less severe in the real world, after all, but still…

“That was when it happened. I thought to myself, _I can’t die here, no matter what_. That’s when… when Loki spoke to me, the way Arsene did to you.” Akechi sighed, rubbing his temples before looking up at him. Akira was watching him throughout the explanation, listening intently. So the story Akechi fed them back then, about how he awakened to his Persona, was at least partially true. He just changed the time and place… but then, weren’t all the best lies based on the truth..? More importantly now, how was Akira supposed to reply to all that..?

“…I’m glad you didn’t die there.” he finally said. Akechi blinked at him in surprise, taking in a shuddering breath before starting to laugh quietly, which succeeded in surprising Akira once more. It took a long while before Akechi calmed down and was able to explain himself, even as his voice was still somewhat shaky while he talked.

“Sorry… it’s just… _god_ , I never really… talked about this with anyone. Anyone who’d understand, at least. It’s been… scary. That other world, my Persona, everything… And here I am being treated as someone who knows what’s happening! It’s hilarious, honestly…”

Akira’s eyes softened. Oh, he could imagine. It was just like he suspected; Akechi had received his power without all the support he himself had. Without Morgana to guide him or Ryuuji to share his experience with… he was all alone.

“Yeah… damn, I… how did you do it, even? Until I talked to you about it, I was half-convinced I was going mad, and I had someone to explain stuff to me right as it happened, too!”

“Yes, it was… hard, at times.” Akechi mumbled, looking away. Akira leaned to the side, catching the detective’s eyes even so.

“Hey, now we have each other, right? And that monster cat, if we can find it. So we can figure it out together.”

“Heh…” Akechi’s expression was distant and bitter, but he soon covered it up with a smile. There was so much more he wanted to talk about; Akira could see it in the way he stopped himself from talking and focused on eating, though he looked like he hardly noticed what he was putting in his mouth. Wait, what the hell was with that? Wasn’t the detective supposed to like pancakes…? He said so in their first ever conversation in that other future… right? Or maybe that was Morgana…

“You’re awfully calm about finding out I am a fellow persona user, Kurusu-kun.”

“Well, what can I say.” Akira laughed, pulling himself away from his thoughts. “I was almost killed by my new PE teacher wearing pink speedos and a royal coat today. I think you’d need to try harder to surprise me at this point. Besides… out of all the people I know? You’re the brilliant high school detective… You have that superpower protagonist vibe about you.”

Akechi shook his head at that, before once more diving deep into his own thoughts. Akira didn’t bother him. He has already gotten quite used to the boy detective’s habit of getting lost in thought, and if anything, he found it rather… endearing, really. Finally, Akechi seemed to come back to the present again, and looked at Akira sharply.

“So… what are you planning on doing, Kurusu-kun?”

“Well.” Akira hummed, chewing on his fork before starting to poke at the reminder of his pancake. He looked up and laughed at Akechi’s suspicious, accusatory look.

“Hey, come on, don’t blame me; you already know I wanna go back there! Not just because of curiosity, though. See… the things we saw in that castle, me and Sakamoto…”

“Tell me.”

Akira smiled lightly at Akechi, his eyes soft as he watched him continue to eat mechanically, wine-red eyes still clear and focused on him.

“Not only the way that teacher, Kamoshida, acted there; king of the castle, indeed… there were other cells and other cages, with students inside. We couldn’t help them… and they were… pretty roughed up. From what Morgana had said, that castle thing… that’s how Kamoshida sees that school, right? And that’s how he sees his students… Sakamoto said there are rumours about him; about physical abuse and worse. But all the adults do is turn a blind eye. I was wondering… maybe I could change it, somehow. Maybe I could help. There has to be a reason why I can access that world.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to do, though. And risky.”

“But Kamoshida didn’t remember anything, even though we met him in that castle!”

“You didn’t meet _him_ , you met his shadow. There’s a difference.”

“Well, fine, that still doesn’t make it risky.”

Akechi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He was frowning, though not in annoyance; more so in worry, as Akira saw.

“That’s not what I meant, either. You’ve almost died… Look, even if you get back there, how would you go about changing the situation..? You have no plans, no knowledge…”

“The cat seems to know a lot, though. If we could find him again…”

“Kurusu, you’re not using an app you don’t know how to use to access a world you know nothing about armed with a Persona you’ve never used before only to find some stray cat that _might_ have some answers.”

“Well, when you put it _this_ way…”

“I’m serious.” Akechi’s eyes were stubborn as he looked at him. “Look, at least promise you’ll wait. We’ll go in together next time, if you absolutely _have to_.”

“Well, to be honest..? Ever since you’ve told me you have a Persona I was kinda hoping you’d say that.”

Akechi sighed and shook his head at him, but there was a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips that Akira didn’t expect to find there.

“You’re a stubborn ass, you know that? Still… I’ll come, if you insist. I’m not going back on my word, and I’m not letting you go off into a dangerous place like that on your own.”

“Awww, you’re gonna protect me?”

“Well, I’ll _try_.” Akechi huffed, looking away to hide his blush. Akira’s smile softened again, and he set down his fork and finished his coffee, resting his chin on hand.

“…thanks.” he murmured. “For meeting with me on such short notice… for believing me. And having my back. Honestly, I… Thanks, Akechi.”

“Well, you’re my friend.” the detective said quietly. “I… I’m not really good at making friends, but I’m at least trying not to screw this one up.”

Once they were done with their meal, Akira paid and they left the diner together. Akechi’s bike was parked nearby, and Akira walked him to it while they chatted quietly, both of them wishing they had more time. There was still so much to talk about; the topic of their Personas aside, despite talking well into the night yesterday they never seemed to run out of things they wanted to share with one another. It was Akira who checked his phone and informed Akechi he needed to go to make it to cram school, no matter how much he wished they could just stay there, talking away over Akechi’s bike. As they said their goodbyes, Akira stopped at some point, grinning as he looked down on the bicycle.

“You know what? I need to get myself one of these. We could go on trips around Tokyo together in our free time, if I did.”

For quite a while, Akechi simply looked at him, curious expression on his face.

“…you don’t even like cycling.”

“Nope. But you do.” Akira said with a shrug of his shoulders, and a simple smile.

 

* * *

 

 **Akechi:** How was it? Was Boss very angry with you?

 **Akira:** Weren’t you supposed to be at cram school, Mr. Honour Student?

 **Akechi:** Evading my questions, huh. Sounds like it was bad.

 **Akira:** nnnngh, that’s what I get for being friends with a detective. Can’t even keep one little secret.

 **Akechi:** Not a very well-kept secret.

 **Akira:** Very well, smartass, we’ll see how you’re gonna look when you get caught texting during class

 **Akechi:** Oh please, the class is so boring I can hardly stop myself from yawning. I know all of that already.

 **Akira:** Why do you bother with cram school, then?

 **Akechi:** Appearances to uphold.

 **Akira:** booooo, boring. I’d ditch it.

 **Akechi:** You know what..? Maybe I will. I don’t think ditching cram school will do my detective image much bad in the end… and these hours I could spend actually working or actually studying.

 **Akechi:** I know I can study by myself, and better than I do here.

 **Akira:** mhm, and I know of a nice quiet café you could do your studying at

 **Akira:** With unlimited coffee and my presence as an added bonus

 **Akechi:** You’re so modest, Kurusu.

 **Akira:** Why, that’s only one of my virtues

 **Akechi:** I might have been thinking of Leblanc, though. Well, better get back to studying here for now.

 **Akira:** If you ditch the cram school, I’ll make you my special curry to go with the coffee

 **Akechi:** You’re a bad influence, Kurusu Akira.

 **Akira:** Oh, you have no idea, detective

 

* * *

 

It was raining the next day, and Akira sent Akechi a _good morning_ text full of clouds and water drops, reminding him to take an umbrella. He could feel the detective’s smile in the reply, and was himself smiling as he went down the stairs, got some food in himself and went out.

On his ride to school, Akira listened to the chatter surrounding him. It felt refreshing, really, for it to be so devoid of anything concerning the Phantom Thieves, even if he knew this won’t be for long. Sleepy and yawning, he got himself to school, through classes and all the way to lunchbreak before it was time to act.

On one hand, he was half-tempted to only tell Akechi about his second trip to Kamoshida’s Palace after the fact. This was the visit during which Ryuuji would awaken to his Persona, and having Akechi there might complicate things, on the account of the detective being a lot stronger than himself and Morgana was in that different future. On the last visit, Akira was actually surprised how strong his own Persona was; and his blade and gun were the same ones he used in his last battle. This actually made him shudder a little in memory of the emotions that overtook him when he first saw that he still had the gun he has received from sacrificing Metatron; the winged gun that he made a token of his promise to the dying Akechi.

Akira shook his head, taking out his phone. Akechi wasn’t dead, not in the present. And he was not going to die, even if saving him would be the last thing the raven would ever do.

Still, the fact both Akechi’s and his Personas were really damn strong remained, even if it was mitigated somewhat by the fact that from what he could see, enemies grew a lot stronger, too. Even so, should the detective wipe out all the Shadows by himself, Ryuuji will have no need to awaken. Akira had made a promise, though, and promise to a friend came before future predictions. They will need to take that gamble. Worst case scenario, Akira will get himself taken hostage, like it was with Ann during _her_ awakening, and no matter his strength Akechi would need Ryuuji’s awakening to help.

So now, to get the detective into the Palace…

**Akira:** Houston, we have a problem

 **Akechi:** Let me guess.

 **Akechi:** No melon bread left at the school cafeteria?

 **Akira:** What are you, a teenage girl?

 **Akira:** Nope, it’s Ryuuji

 **Akechi:** Ryuuji?

 **Akira:** Sakamoto? The guy I went to the Palace with yesterday?

 **Akechi:** Oh, right. You’re on first-name basis already?

 **Akira:** man, if you’d have met him, you’d understand why

 **Akira:** ANYWAY

 **Akira:** He’s definitely planning to go to the Palace again

 **Akechi:** Well? Just say you can’t

 **Akechi:** or that it’s a bad idea

 **Akechi:** or that you don’t know what he’s talking about and he was just imagining stuff

 **Akechi:** It will be safer that way for all of us

 **Akira:** Yeah, great advice, detective. Now work into it the fact that I just heard him get all confused about the weird app appearing on his phone

 **Akechi:** …you have got to be kidding me

 **Akira:** What do we do?

 **Akechi:** …

 **Akechi:** I swear, if you’re just making that up to make me go there…

 **Akira:** I’m not. And he’s the kinda guy who’ll go even if he has to go alone

 **Akechi:** And get killed in the process.

 **Akira:** well…

 **Akechi:** …you’re planning on helping him, aren’t you.

 **Akira:** Well I can’t just let him go alone and die there!

 **Akechi:** So you’re not that kind of guy either, huh.

 **Akechi:** …well, I’m not okay with you dying for a stupid reason like this

 **Akechi:** I’ll help.

 **Akira:** …thank you. you’re… really great, Akechi, you know?

 **Akechi:** You owe me dinner for that, though.

 **Akira:** help at the Palace AND a dinner with the hot guy?

 **Akira:** (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

 

* * *

 

Akechi arrived at their school as soon as he could after his own classes ended, and Akira couldn’t help but grin at him gratefully for it. The detective was visibly grumpy, but the raven could see it was at least mostly a pose. He had to be curious, too; and with the way Akechi immediately positioned himself near Akira, it seemed he was taking his role as the protector seriously.

Ryuuji wasn’t too keen on him, though.

“So that’s the dude?” the blond boy tilted his head at Akechi, looking doubtful. “You sure you can actually fight? The way Akira talks about you, I expected, I don’t know…”

“Oi, Ryuuji, get off him.” Akira laughed, more than a little bit amused at the dark fury hiding under Akechi’s calm smile once he heard that. “I don’t look beefy or anything either, and I can fight, right? Akechi’s had his Persona before I could even use mine, I bet he’s way stronger than me or Morgana.”

“…that was personal information, Kurusu. Still… I won’t deny that I am.” Akechi’s voice – and look – was below freezing by now, and Akira had a hard time not chuckling again. The detective rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking at him with accusatory look.

“See, this is exactly why I was against this.”

“C’mon, man, I didn’t mean anything bad.” Ryuuji mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “Thanks for having my back and all, anyway.”

“Well, you’d just go without us if I hadn’t showed up, right? And this idiot…” Akechi nodded at Akira. “Would go with you if I know anything about him.”

“That makes you an idiot, too, you know. I’m still glad you came.” Akira smiled softly, and he could have sworn Akechi’s expression softened a little bit at that.  

“Well…” the detective mumbled, before frowning at Akira. “I told you, I’m not good at making friends… I do know you’re supposed to take care of them, though. And… alright, I _am_ curious about that castle, too.”

“I don’t blame you, man, the place’s crazy.” Ryuuji nodded sagely, grinning at Akechi, who seemed to hesitate for a little while before smiling back. “So, what, we go in?”

Akechi nodded and let out a long sigh before setting down his attaché case and rolling his shoulders.

“Let’s get going. I really can’t stay in the Metaverse for too long today.”

Akira was the one to do the honours; the distortion washed over them, the feeling akin to entering alternating currents between cold and warm water, and before they knew it, the school they were standing in front of was gone; and a giant castle stood in its stead. Akira looked to his side, feeling brief weakness come over him as he saw Crow standing right there, focused and wary of his surroundings, but also immensely interested in the sight before them. Gods, it felt so _good_ to see him there, alive, in the ridiculous princely get-up and on his side again. So, _so_ good.

_Wait, princely get-up..? Wasn’t he supposed to be using Loki..?_

For what it was worth, Akechi looked positively shocked himself. He stared down, raising his hands and flexing his fingers before his eyes as he looked at his white gloves and white-and-red prince outfit, even turning around once as he noticed the short cape. His hands moved to his belt, and he took out the handle of the sabre Akira remembered so well, frowning at it in confusion.

“What the hell…” he heard the detective whisper, before his hand moved up, touching his mask. Only now remembering he was supposed to be confused and not nostalgic, Akira frowned at him, watching Akechi look over himself.

“…what is it? Something wrong?”

Beside them, Ryuuji snorted loudly, his shoulders shaking as he giggled, earning an extremely offended look from Akechi.

“Dude… your clothes are even more ridiculous than this guy’s…” he gasped in between little chuckles. “What are you supposed to be, some prince? And what’s with that birdie mask?”

“…that’s it, I’m leaving.” Akechi growled, only to still when Akira smiled at him, the softness in his smile barely covered up by amusement. He couldn’t help it, though. Seeing Crow again… the sight brought back whatever painful memories he had of their fight and its aftermath, and knowing he had a chance of reverting this fate felt almost too good to be true.

“Don’t. We have stuff to do.” he said gently. “Besides, I like that costume. It suits you, detective prince.”

“Huh?” Ryuuji titled his head as Akechi looked away, blushing lightly under his mask. “You’re some kinda detective?”

“…you didn’t tell him who I was after all? You were fine telling people I’m a Persona user, too, but not what my job was?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure how much you were fine with people knowing. I did say you’re brilliant, though.”

“Yeah, like five times, it got creepy by the end.” Ryuuji interjected helpfully, and Akechi simply shook his head.

“Well, I am a detective. That much I don’t mind you knowing.” he said finally, before frowning once more.

“The thing is… that is not how I usually look in the Metaverse. The feeling of my Persona, too… give me a moment.”

Akechi tore off his mask easily, and it bloomed into flames in his hand as the familiar, over-the-top figure of Robin Hood sprung up from it. Akechi stared up at it with wide eyes, as his Persona looked down on him.

“…Robin Hood..?” he whispered, before the figure disappeared once more, and his mask was back on his face. Akira tilted his head, blinking at the detective. Was he… acting? No, Akechi looked genuinely confused there. Just what was happening? Was this the first time he saw his other Persona..? But why..?

“Didn’t you say your Persona was…”

“I did.” Akechi nodded, frowning. “I’m… I have to say, I’m confused. Unless…” Suddenly, his eyes widened, as if some kind of realization dawned on him.

“… _Robin Hood_ … of course!”

“What is it?”

“Ah… nothing. I just understood… well, it’s not really important.” Akechi coughed lightly, before pointing his mask towards the entrance. “Well then. Shall we? I’d rather not spend more time than necessary in this place.”

It went… smoother than Akira expected, really. Morgana showed up before they could enter the castle; and surprisingly, he seemed pretty damn happy with Akechi being there, if surprised. Ah, true; at that time, Morgana still only saw them as people who could help him regain his true form, and Akechi was just a powerful Persona user he could team up with. Indeed, with Akira’s gear, knowledge and Persona, the two of them should be on pretty similar levels; and perhaps it was the new reality reacting to them, but the enemies at Kamoshida’s castle seemed accordingly stronger. By then, Akira was still using Arsene exclusively, but ah, soon… soon he will truly be able to show the detective how strong he could really be.

They discussed their plans before heading inside. Ryuuji’s wish to go down to the dungeons again met with scepticism of both Morgana and Akechi; the boy even explaining that whomever they saw down there was most likely only Kamoshida’s cognition of people in this world. Still, the blond was set on going, and after Akira declared he’ll help him, Akechi didn’t hesitate, either. Morgana offered to guide them, and all of them agreed to go forth once more, slipping into the Palace through the ventilation shaft.

The first fight they had was enough to show just what a great addition Akechi was to their team. His lightsabre cut through one shadow, while Akira took the other down with his gun; the quick action and ease with which he handled it, as well as his gun itself earning a surprised look from his friend. They cut through enemies together afterwards, going down to the dungeons, over the river and to the torture chambers. Throughout their run, Akira realized he was slipping back into the easy rhythm he still remembered from their Casino infiltration. Whenever Akechi left an opening, Akira was there to cover it; whenever Akira left an opponent knocked out, Akechi was there to finish the job. It was so easy to work with the other, their movements, their strategies all complimenting one another. It felt almost too easy this way; and with Morgana in support, it felt like they could go on like this for hours. Akira could see Akechi looking at him wonderingly, the wine-red eyes shining as they kept returning to Akira’s form; after the fight, while they sneaked around the castle… whenever they had a free moment, he could feel the other watching him curiously. Somehow, it felt like a motivation to do even better.

The torture chambers were still a shock. Akira remembered vaguely what they contained, but to see it all for himself once more, and to realize – with whole ugliness of the matter – that this was happening in real life, too, if on a slightly lesser scale… He felt the familiar anger rushing through his body. The others weren’t passive towards the sight, either. Ryuuji right out yelled just what he was going to do to Kamoshida, and Morgana confirmed what Akira already knew – that no matter whether these were just cognitions, them being here in such a way meant that they were being abused in real life, too. And Akechi…

“…this… is not how a teacher ought to think of his students.” the boy detective said quietly, through gritted teeth. “Children aren’t just… just _playthings_ for adults to manipulate and use.”

Akechi took in a sharp breath before looking at Akira, crimson eyes shining with conviction.

“Alright, this thing just stopped being about me being worried about you. You guys are going to do something, right? About Kamoshida..? About… _this_?” he pointed at the torture chambers, disgusted expression on his face.

“Let me in on it. I’ll help.”

Ryuuji grinned at that; he was still angry, and Akechi’s words obviously surprised him, but he seemed happy with it all the same.

“Whoa, nice there, birdie-mask! You’re a real dude!” he grinned, slapping Akechi on the back so hard the detective yelped quietly.

“I was hoping you’d say something like that, to be honest. We’ll need an ace like you up our sleeve.” Akira said with a wink, for now ignoring the back slaps.

“Well, I don’t mind teaming up with strong guys like you.” Morgana chimed in, grinning at all of them. “Let’s get out of here, for now… and once we’re somewhere safe, we can talk more about what we can do to stop Kamoshida together.”

 

* * *

 

It happened suddenly, more so than Akira could remembered it. The ambush in the great hall that was to leave them defenceless and force Ryuuji to transform took even the raven by surprise, and yet at the same time, it went just as he had wished it would go. They got surrounded, and before Akira himself could react, he felt a thin blade of a sword press to his throat; Akechi’s eyes wide and uncharacteristically filled with panic as he looked at him.

“Akira!”

“ _Don’t move, or the punk loses his head_.”

Ah, Shadow Kamoshida was there, too. Quite smart, Akira had to give him that. Once the initial surprise wore off, the raven found himself feeling calm. This was alright; he knew it will be, he remembered it be so. And even if Ryuuji will not awaken, for some reason, he was positive he could get himself out of the situation. Akechi, on the other hand…

“Calm down.” Akira said softly, hissing as the blade pressed more to his throat, Akechi stepping restlessly forward, only to cry out as he was struck by an enemy, together with Morgana. They both yelled, challenged Kamoshida to face them; finally, the soldier holding Akira pushed him down and stepped on him; the position extremely uncomfortable, indeed, but very familiar.

Mocking words shadow Kamoshida spilled into Ryuuji’s ears were hard to listen to; but Akira found himself pulled to someone else in the room. Even pinned to the ground, defeated, Akechi never took his eyes off of him; and even in their situation, he reached out, as if trying to make sure Akira was alright. This… truly was unexpected. They already established Akechi considered him a friend by now; who knew he’d be so protective..?

_I guess you only truly value something when you never had it until now, and are scared to lose it again, huh…_

It was hard to look away from the detective’s intense gaze; and yet, Akira looked up, seeing Ryuuji slip to the ground. Kamoshida stood over him, victorious. Well, here was a sight the raven didn’t care for…

“Are you just going to listen to him?!” he felt himself yell. “Are you just going to let him have his way?! Didn’t he take everything from you? Fight back for once!”

He saw Ryuuji’s shoulders tighten up and his head raise to face him, eyes wide and full of understanding. The blue flames erupted from the blond’s frame as he writhed on the ground, the guards blown away from them by the force of Ryuuji’s awakening. Akira jumped up, helping Akechi and Morgana to their feet afterwards as they watched their companion tear off his mask and grin, as the power he has awakened to filled his veins. And yet, it was Akechi that pulled Akira’s attention the next moment, again; and the other boy’s wide, surprised eyes and slightly parted lips as he watched, speechless.

“You’ve just triggered his awakening… haven’t you?” he whispered, looking back at Akira. “Just _who are you.._?”


	4. To Save a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Akechi have a talk regarding the Metaverse; Akira is visited by demons of the future.
> 
> The next day, their investigation into Kamoshida goes on, and Akira realizes he is not limited to only trying to save one person per game.

It was surprisingly easy, in retrospect, to convince Akechi to join them for some beef bowl. He _did_ object on the type of food they were getting, but since Ryuuji offered to pay – and called him a pansy for preferring pancakes to meat – he relented, with that amusing expression on his face that would look polite and smiling at first, but hid cold fury underneath.

“I didn’t know having a slightly more _refined_ taste made you a _pansy_ now.” he mumbled sulkily minutes after they left the beef bowl shop. Ryuuji left earlier, having finished his food first, and now it was just Akira and Akechi; and for the first time today, the raven saw his friend actually let some of the tension on his arms and neck relax as they walked down Shibuya’s central street together.

Admittedly, the trip to the beef bowl show didn’t seem to relax him all that much. As Ryuuji told them a little bit about his past – and Akira could _see_ the exact moment Akechi started to almost unwillingly relate and listen much more intently – they were obliged to share some of their pasts as well. Akechi got around it easily, talking more about his and Akira’s first meeting rather than his own past. Ryuuji swallowed it easily enough, but the raven himself was disappointed. Then again, perhaps expecting the detective to share too much, and with the two of them, at that, was too much to ask just yet.

“Well, the beef bowl was good.” Akira shrugged as they walked. “Something filling after a trip to Metaverse did sound nice, too.”

“That’s not the problem here, and you know it.”

Akira smiled lightly, looking to the side.  Akechi was walking at a slow pace; they both agreed killing some time until rush hour ends was the thing to do now, and though the detective lived in Shibuya and didn’t really need to take the train, he offered they should walk together, which Akira was more than happy to comply with. Akechi looked like he had some things he wanted to discuss; and even now, Akira could almost see how he searched for and prepared the words, like he did so many times before interviews or public appearances.

“…Ryuuji’s sure pumped up.” the raven spoke finally, when it seemed his friend won’t be able to start after all. He seemed to have pulled Akechi out from a deep thought, judging by the surprised blinking of the detective; and then, by soft blush staining his cheeks.

“…I’m sorry, I…”

“Got lost in thought again, I know.” Akira chuckled quietly. “You know I don’t mind.”

“Still, it was disrespectful of me.”

“Well, you were thinking of what to say, yeah? I could see you buzzing to have a private word with me ever since we left that Palace.”

Akechi looked at him sharply. They reached the end of Central Street, and Akechi kept walking, not even looking where he was going. Akira didn’t mind following him through the busy streets, keeping close so that they could continue their talk.

“You’re… very perceptive.”

“I don’t need to be very perceptive to notice you staring, detective.” Akira laughed, and oh look, Akechi blushed again and looked away furiously. Still, it seemed to work. After just a moment of silence more, he actually started to talk.

“I… would like you to be honest with me. Have you… really had your Persona for just few days..?”

Ah… so that’s what was bothering him. The difference in strength between them that should have been there, and yet really wasn’t. Akira couldn’t say he blamed him. Akechi must have expected him more similar to Ryuuji; raw power, strong, but untamed, with no discipline. And here he was, with almost a year of experience in annihilating Palaces and Mementos shadows alike… in another life, in a future that will never come to pass.

“I didn’t lie to you, Akechi.” he said gently. “I awakened to Arsene on my first visit to Kamoshida’s castle.”

The detective bit his lip lightly; an odd habit he had troubles fighting, perhaps..? and rubbed his chin with his fingers.

“You’re too powerful for that, though… and at the same time, I don’t think you’re lying. I have… something of a gift knowing when people lie to me.” he said, frowning. “It’s… ah, nevermind.” he mumbled, looking away, that frown still persistent. Akira tilted his head, looking at Akechi’s strange, restless behaviour. By now, they have walked away from the main streets and into quiet, peaceful residential area, where streets were empty and illuminated by warm sunlight of late afternoon. They went through a little park with blooming cherry trees in it and found a bench where they sat, side by side, on this quiet, warm afternoon.

“Tell me.” Akira said, nudging Akechi’s side. The detective hesitated, before sighing and massaging his temples.

“…you’re just going to pester me until I do, aren’t you?”

“You know me so well already~”

“Well…” Akechi sighed, and then – to Akira’s surprise – growled quietly in frustration.

“The truth is… I’m _envious_. I feel like such a child for it, too… it doesn’t make _sense_. With Loki… it was scary, but at the same time, I felt _special_. And then we entered the castle, and there was a _second_ Persona… I felt like it was somehow a lot more of a deal.” Akechi laughed bitterly, looking away, a fleeting expression of self-loathing passed through his face. “And now…”

“Hey.” It was Akira’s turn to frown. He rested his hand on Akechi’s shoulder, and felt the boy detective muscles tense under his touch. Was it this unwelcome…?

“You _are_ special, though. You’re a lot stronger than me… no, seriously, you are! And besides, what does strength even have to do with anything here?”

“I… that’s not…”

Akira sighed. He knew what was the matter, of course. For someone as starved for acknowledgment and praise as Akechi was, finding out that the powers only he himself had were no longer unique to him – and moreover, finding out that the other person is just as powerful after a day as he is after two years… it had to hurt. It had to make him feel like, once again, he was not enough, he was nothing.

_How do I fix this? What is the right thing to say?_

“…you’re no longer unique is what it is, then… right?” Akira said quietly after a while, and sighed as he saw Akechi give a soft nod. And then…

“…so who the hell cares if you’re not?”

“Excuse me..?”

Ah, good, he got him surprised. Akira took a deep breath and moved to stand before the bench, resting both his hands on Akechi’s shoulders, making him look at him.

“So who the hell cares if you’re not some unique superhuman, Akechi? You’re still brilliant, strong, talented… you still are the famous detective prince, the honour student, the strongest Persona user I know, someone who managed to deal with the insanity of this other world, on his own, for who the hell knows how long… and most importantly, you’re my friend, damn it! How are you not special? You’re _super_ special, you stupid, self-depreciating bastard!”

Akechi stared at him, eyes wide in shock and confusion. Well, the outburst did come kind of out of nowhere, but what other choice did he have, really? Akira had no idea even if these words will do any good. The boy before him spent his whole life believing he didn’t belong, that he wasn’t good enough; that his existence itself was a sin. And that was the first thing he had to change, and as soon as possible, because if not… if not, then the watertight door will still fall shut between them, and he will lose him once more.

Finally, Akechi seemed to come back to his senses. He blinked a few times and looked away, his hands resting on Akira’s forearms as if he thought of pushing the other away but changed his mind. Slowly, a little, genuine smile made its way onto Akechi’s lips and he looked up at Akira again, and the raven had no idea the detective could _look_ at people like this; in such a vulnerable, open way.

“…thank you, Kurusu.” he murmured quietly, looking away once more as his eyes glistened suspiciously. “I… no one… I mean, I never really had a friend before. It’s… to think someone would feel this way about someone like me, that’s still…”

“Well. Same here, to be completely honest.” Akira smiled and let go of Akechi finally. Did he imagine it, or was there a disappointed look in the detective’s eyes before he collected himself again..?

“I never really made much friends at my hometown. You’re the only one I felt at ease talking with… even right from the start.” he said, sitting back down beside Akechi, who looked at him in a curious way.

“…you really did?”

“Sure. I mean, you’re very pretty, but don’t flatter yourself, I wouldn’t stay friends with you just for the looks.” Akira winked, and grinned brightly when his comment actually made the detective laugh. The tension and negativity from before left Akechi, and he was smiling contently, looking up at the pink trees all around them before laughing as he looked at Akira again.

“You have your hair full of flowers. Here, let me…” he chuckled, reaching his hands up and gently picking up the delicate, pink petals from the tangle of Akira’s soft hair. It felt… nice. Akechi’s fingers threading through his hair, and the smile on the detective’s face; a genuine one, at last.

“So.” he hummed, letting Akechi busy himself with the flowers. “What’s the plan from now on? I guess I’ll go with Ryuuji tomorrow, we’ll try to rake up some dirt on Kamoshida…”

“Are you expecting a lot from it?”

“Honestly? No, I don’t.” Akira sighed quietly. “What else do we do, though? I don’t know how to destroy a Palace, and Morgana disappeared off to somewhere ever since you two jerks refused to help him…”

“He was obviously trying to manipulate us, of course we refused.”

“Smartass detective. I still think we could use _his_ help more.”

Akechi rolled his eyes at him and leaned back, throwing the sakura petals on the ground before turning to Akira again.

“Well, whatever happens, let me know how it went. And, for the love of god, please don’t get yourself expelled on your first month…”

 

* * *

 

_The metal under his feet could make the lightest of steps sound like the stomping of an elephant; Joker’s fast, desperate run filled his ears with cacophony of noise. He didn’t care; he won’t be noticed, he knew that, with strange conviction he had no chance for identifying the source of. The corridor was long and dark; but he ran towards this darkness, ignoring the shine of light behind him._

_No, not the light. Light doesn’t need any more flame to add into it. He had to get to the darkness; there, where before him, the corridor disappeared in black mist…_

_The metal walls dripped with slime and foul, red-brown liquid that looked so much like blood; that had to be blood. All of a sudden, it was everywhere; his boots drenched in it. He could feel his feet get wet and sticky, and his steps hesitated as he slipped…_

_No, he cannot stop now. Too soon, too far away. He needs to run, run, every second counts._

_He could see them now; two figures, the image etched into his mind, impossible to forget. The orderly, neat school uniform and empty eyes the colour of dried blood, and on the other side, the tangle of blue and black, and the broken mask…_

_Here! he wanted to scream, but they were too far, too far, he was too slow. Just a little further; he was almost there… if only he could get there in time, there was still time, there had to be..!_

_He saw the mask turn towards him; the one, visible eye soft and yet pleading as he looked at him one last time._

_“Let’s make a deal… ok? You won’t say no, will you? Please..!”_

_No! he wanted to scream, seeing the guns raise simultaneously. Overhead, there was a terrible, metallic sound and a loud clamour as the gate fell down, definite and final. He felt his fists hurt as he banged them over the unforgiving metal, screaming, yelling, trying to get through; finally closing his eyes the second before there came a sound he knew he will hear, and dreaded hearing all the same._

_Bang! Bang!_

Akira sat up on the bed, scream fresh on his lips and throat sore from screaming and trashing in his sleep. He looked wildly around the dark room, not understanding what happened, fear, guilt, misery clawing on his heart. What day was it? April or December..? Where was he..?

Blindly, the raven grasped for his phone; the device not cooperating well with his sweaty, shaking hands. He punched in the number he memorized by now, rocking on the bed as he listened to the signals ringing in vain, each one of them making him panic more, until…

“ _…hello..?_ ”

The voice was sleepy and grumpy and alive; gods, so wonderfully, perfectly alive. It was real; he didn’t dream it, he didn’t think it up to console himself after what happened. Akira shuddered as he squeezed the phone in his hands, pulling it close against his chest, a choked sob escaping him. God, he was still alive. He still had a chance. It was not too late.

Akechi’s voice grew more awake now, on the other side of the phone, and a lot more worried.

_“…Kurusu, are you crying? What happened? Are you hurt..?”_

“N-no…” Akira managed to gasp out. Slowly, with gentle rocking of his body, he was calming down; his sobs quieting gradually until only his shaky breathing spoke of what transpired. Throughout it all, he could hear Akechi on the other side. Silent and hesitant and confused, but determined to keep him company if he needed him. This, more than anything, comforted the shaken raven immensely.

“I-I’m sorry, I… I wasn’t thinking straight, god, I woke you up, didn’t I..?”

 _“That doesn’t matter.”_ Akira smiled weakly, hearing the decisiveness in Akechi’s voice. _“What happened? Do you want me to come?”_

“No… I… It was…” Akira stuttered, suddenly self-conscious. He… seriously just called his friend because he had a nightmare and got scared. _Oh god_.

And of course Akechi had to pick up on the rather obvious reason, too. Damn his detective mind.

_“Nightmare?”_

“…yeah. Shit, I’m so embarrassed… I wasn’t thinking, I just had to make sure—” Akira stopped abruptly, but the damage was done. It was quiet for a little while, before Akechi spoke again, in a strangely disbelieving voice.

_“You had to make sure… what? That I’m alright? Kurusu, did you…”_

“Y-yeah… sorry.”

 _“…oh.”_ And then, after another moment. _“I’m alright. And… no need to feel embarrassed. I… actually, that’s… somewhat flattering.”_

“…I guess.”

_“Would you like to go back to sleep now, or do you want me to stay on line with you for a while longer..?”_

“Uh…” Akira closed his eyes, falling back against his pillow. On one hand, he had enough embarrassment for today. More than enough. On the other… The image of blood-stained walls and the sound of two shots was still fresh in his mind. He didn’t want to stay with it alone…

_“Kurusu, I may not look it, but I know first-hand how bad nightmares can be. I don’t mind. We can sleep with the call going on; from what I remember, you have free domestic calling, right?”_

“What..? Well, yes, but…”

 _“It’s settled, then. Now, put your phone on your pillow and adjust the volume, alright?”_ Akechi’s voice was gentle but firm as he guided him, the little crackling on the audio letting Akira know the detective was doing the same. _“Very good. Now, I want you to breathe with me. Just like this. One, two, three, four… and hold… and again, one, two, three, four. Just listen to my voice and close your eyes, and breathe. Slowly…”_

It went on for a while longer. Akira didn’t even notice himself following everything the detective told him in soft, guiding voice. His breath slowed down and gradually, the raven drifted away into a dreamless sleep, body relaxed and curled up around his phone, where a soft breathing of another boy could be heard, faintly, all the way through the night.

 

* * *

 

 **Akira:** so…

 **Akechi:** No luck gathering info?

 **Akechi:** This was to be expected, I suppose.

 **Akira:** Yeah. Everyone is too scared to speak out, and even if they’re not, they don’t want to out Kamoshida

 **Akechi:** So then what is our plan now? Are you giving up?

 **Akira:** hell no!

 **Akechi:** My sentiments exactly.

 **Akira:** Something else happened. Morgana appeared. He wants to talk with us, but asked for you. Could you meet with us after school?

 **Akechi:** Morgana appeared? Here, in this world?

 **Akira:** yep. He looks like a normal cat here, but can talk.

 **Akechi:** This is getting more and more strange.

 **Akechi:** I so happened to file in my resignation from cram school today, so…

 **Akechi:** Where do we meet?

 **Akira:** oh, I owe you curry now! good job ^^

 **Akira:** Let’s meet at the diner, though.

 **Akechi:** alright. I’ll be waiting for you.

 **Akechi:** What’s wrong with the promised curry today?

 **Akira:** Well, I promised I’ll make it just for you, didn’t I? Figured you’d prefer it to just be the two of us for that occasion.

 **Akira:** Plus Boss might just kill me if I try to touch his kitchen just yet

 

Akira smiled lightly, looking up from his phone and letting Ryuuji and Morgana know where are they meeting with Akechi. They waved at one another before Akira headed back to class; his mind filled with thoughts of the detective and the talk that they will soon have.

If he remembered correctly, this was the day he would see Ann talk to Kamoshida over the phone, and give her courage enough to refuse the bastard; but it will also be the night on which Kamoshida, disgruntled by Ann slipping from his grip, would rape Shiho in her stead. They were slow, he knew that; if they managed to infiltrate the Palace before this happened… but then, infiltrating it with just himself, Akechi and Morgana would have been suicide, with how strong the enemies were compared to the first time he went through it, in the future. They needed Ryuuji, and Ann in back-up… but they needed to save Shiho somehow, too.

Akira sighed, feeling disgust at the realization that he has been so focused on saving Akechi he didn’t even think of helping the countless other people who suffered during his tenure as the Phantom Thief. Was he truly this obsessed with the detective..? Then again, as the dream from the last night flashed briefly in his memories, he supposed it wasn’t it. Not entirely, at least. No, the reason Akira was this focused on delivering Akechi from his gruesome fate was at least partially due to simple selfishness. A way to stop the guilt raking over him; to stop the nightmares tormenting him at night. Saving Akechi would be a way of redeeming himself… meanwhile, saving Shiho escaped his mind, as if her fate was any less terrible then the detective’s.

How to save her, though? She was, as of now, completely in Kamoshida’s power. If not for her, Ann would have been raped, and perhaps she would be the one on the roof, with nowhere left to run. And yet, it was Shiho’s suicide attempt that pushed the Phantom Thieves to punish Kamoshida back then. Akira shuddered as he thought of it that way. No… no, he had no right to think this way. He couldn’t just treat an innocent girl like some… some _leverage_. Perhaps Ann will never join; so what? With the four of them, they could still do it, and Akira could easily let her never become a part of their group if they could only keep her and Shiho smiling and happy together.

How, though..? How do they save this girl? It was too late to think of stealing the Treasure. They needed the infiltration route first, then send the calling card… and the day was tonight, for goodness sake!

 _Come on, think, think._ How do they stop the bastard teacher from raping a girl in his volleyball team? Go there? No, they won’t be able to sneak in after hours and besides, how would they know where Kamoshida did it? Everything pointed to the PE teacher’s room, but still…

Wait, so if they can’t come in, how about making Kamoshida come out..? Or better yet, make Shiho leave before she could be asked into it. How, though? She wouldn’t leave practice, not unless something very important had happened; and even if she did, Kamoshida would have just made it worse later. Ah, damn, what to do…

Almost without thinking, Akira pulled out his phone, careful not to let the teacher see him type.

 

 **Akira:** I need help

 **Akira:** I heard a rumour Kamoshida abuses female students

 **Akira:** As in, he’d ask one to his faculty office and, uh

 **Akira:** you know

 **Akira:** And I’m almost sure I know he might do it again soon. I think I know which girl it’s gonna be, too

 **Akira:** How do we stop him? I can’t think of shit I could do, it’s driving me mad!

 **Akechi:** you know we’re in class???

 **Akira:** oh gimme a break there’s a danger of girl being raped tonight dammit!

 

For a long time, there was no reply; and Akira almost started to lose hope before he remembered something. A little detail Futaba dug up, after Shido’s Palace, when he was holed up in his attic in between exams and refusing to eat or see anyone, the guilt twisting his stomach. He remembered the girl climb the stairs, worried Sojiro on her tail; he remembered her talking with him, hugging him, and he remembered all the guilt, frustration and anger he felt pour out. It was then that she told him of what she found out about one Akechi Goro’s family…

 _Shit_.

 

 **Akechi:** You’re right. We’re not letting that happen.

 

Akira stared at his phone, before quickly typing back.

 

 **Akira:** Tell me what to do. I just don’t have any ideas. I thought of making the girl I think might be the next victim leave school before practice, but he’d either pick someone else or pick her tomorrow.

 **Akechi:** Yes, that won’t work.

 **Akechi:** On the other hand… what if volleyball team had to quit practice altogether for a few days?

 **Akechi:** It might make things harder for us in the Metaverse on account of Kamoshida being angry, though.

 **Akira:** What do you have in mind?

 **Akechi:** Well, if volleyball practice had to cease for a few days, if Kamoshida asked a female student to the faculty office, it’d be suspicious, right?

 **Akechi:** So he would most likely be unable to do it.

 **Akechi:** So then, we need to make it impossible for volleyball team to have practice.

 **Akira:** …you want me to do something at the gym.

 **Akechi:** There are many possibilities. Breaking a container filled with irritating or stinky substance might work best, though.

 **Akechi:** Especially if it’s something extremely contaminating. I know for a fact there is a shop in Shibuya that might sell you something of the sort without many questions asked. You and Sakamoto will be prime suspects, though.

 **Akechi:** You’ll need to get Morgana to do it. If he looks like a normal cat, it won’t be a problem.

 **Akira:** …you’re brilliant

 **Akira:** absolutely brilliant

 **Akira:** I have lunchbreak starting soon. I should be able to slip away from school.

 **Akechi:** Don’t even think about it, idiot. Your uniform, remember? Attendance officers will catch you and inform your school and everything will be in vain.

 **Akira:** But there might not be a lot time!

 **Akechi:** Hm

 **Akechi:** Say, think you can slip into Metaverse while at school?

 **Akechi:** If my thinking is correct, you could then move to Shibuya, get out of it, buy the thing, then slip back into Metaverse and navigate the streets back to school.

 **Akechi:** It might very much not work, though.

 **Akira:** …as I said

 **Akira:** absolutely brilliant

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly – or perhaps not, considering how much experience Akechi had using the Metaverse – the plan worked perfectly well. Akira managed to slip away during lunch break, get a jar of something that grinning Iwai – damn, how nice it was to see the guy’s face again, lollipop and all – assured him would make putrid smell cling to wherever he decided to throw it in, and remain for days – and get back to school with only a minute slip and a disappointed look from Kawakami as he got to his desk again.

Morgana was harder to find; thankfully, he was wandering about the campus still, and after a bit of coaxing, agreed to carry the jar to the gym and break it there, while Akira was in class, so as to pull any suspicion from him. Just as Akira was texting Akechi excitedly about their plan about to commence, there came some noise from the corridor and soon, the whole school was abuzz with the terribly smelling prank. Apparently, the jar broke right outside PE faculty office, and supposedly Kamoshida smelt like a skunk rotting on the side of the road and went home, fuming to get the putrid scent off of himself.

 

 **Akira:** omg, Kamoshida got *doused* with the stuff! He smells like shit, went home. I’m pretty sure girls are safe for the time being

 **Akechi:** Good job!

 **Akira:** Good job you, too! It was your idea and it worked amazing. Plus, Morgana did great dropping that stuff right out the faculty office. I owe you guys sushi

 **Akechi:** Now we’re talking!

 **Akira:** oh, someone’s excited~

 

* * *

 

Just as Akechi had foreseen, the volleyball practice got cancelled, as got the rest of classes taking place in and around the gym. Kamoshida did not return, and from Ann’s light steps as she passed him, Ryuuji and Morgana on their way out of school, talking excitedly about crepes with a smiling and somewhat more relaxed Shiho, Akira knew their plan had worked. It was… sad, in a way. Like this, Ann won’t have any incentive to join the Phantom Thieves; what’s worse, they will never get to know Yusuke like that, since it was Ann who was the bridge between them at first. Still, Akira felt good, seeing the two girls go on their merry way. He saved Shiho pain, stigma and injury. They will cross that bridge once they get to it, he supposed; the uncertainty of the future was well worth Shiho’s and Ann’s happiness.

Akechi was waiting for them at the diner, grinning as he saw Akira’s bright expression. Damn, he almost wanted to hug him.

“Okay, that idea was absolutely awesome!” Akira exclaimed, as they slipped into the booth all together. Morgana chuckled happily and purred at the praise he received next, before winking at the detective, too.

“I have to say, not bad for a rookie!”

“…I am really talking to a cat. This is almost as surreal as being in that castle.”

“Oi! I’m not a cat!”

They all laughed and ordered their drinks; and soon, after discussing Akira’s, Morgana’s and Akechi’s delightful prank on Kamoshida, they let Morgana talk. Throughout the cat’s explanation – the talk of treasures, stealing and changing hearts – Akira was focusing more on Akechi’s reaction to all the information than to the information itself. He already knew all that; and though he made sure to react accordingly and at the right moments, he wasn’t really listening.

As he expected, Akechi listened intently as Morgana explained that it is, indeed, possible to change another’s heart without harming them in any way. All the way up to the part of it bearing the risk of mental shutdown, Akechi was pale and his eyes wide. This truly was a new information for him, then. As Akira had expected; the boy had no idea there was an alternative to killing the shadows of people Shido wanted out of his way.

“So then… if we steal the treasure, the distortion disappears..?” the boy detective asked tentatively.

“Exactly. The twisted desires – and the Palace – will be no more. However… desire is what people need to live. Desire to eat, to sleep, to love…”

Akechi’s eyes flickered up to Akira’s own, and the raven wondered if he was seeking reassurance there. Or was he simply observing his reactions, the same as he observed the detective’s..?

Ryuuji let out an exclamation at the information they could end up essentially killing Kamoshida; and Akira shook his thoughts away, knowing that without Shiho’s suicide, it was on him to convince the blond to commence anyway.

“I don’t want to kill anyone, but…” Akira sighed, steeling himself for the speech he had to give. “We won’t let it happen. We only need to steal the Treasure, right? The source of his distorted desires; not all of them.”

“I think we _would_ risk killing him if what we did was try to kill his Shadow. His true _self_ , if you will.” Akechi said carefully, and Akira looked back at him. _Ah, right. You would know that, detective, would you not?_

“If all we do is steal the Treasure…”

“Agreed. Kamoshida dying is the absolute worst-case scenario we won’t let happen. If we run at risk of destroying his Shadow, we will simply retreat, regroup and try again.”

“Huh… if you guys say it like that, I guess…” Ryuuji mumbled doubtfully, but Akira could see they won him over even as they spoke. Morgana grinned and jumped onto the table.

“Alright then! Tomorrow after school, we go into the Palace, so make sure to rest a lot, alright? We should do it before Kamoshida comes back to school; once he comes back, who knows what he’ll try to do. Even if you were in class, he’s sure to be suspecting the two of you, and with the grip he has on school…” Morgana swished his tail and sat down. “You’ll probably get expelled.”

“Yeah, thought as much.” Akira sighed. Of course he had a deadline, and worse one than before. Wonderful. “Still, maybe not tomorrow. There’s a shady clinic with original medicine in Yongen; I wanna go there and see if I can get some medicine to help us in the Palace. Some new weapons and guns would be nice, too… well, for you guys, at least. I’m not changing mine.”

He could feel Akechi’s eyes on him again, and felt himself blush under his gaze. _He will ask me about this_ , Akira realized. And what was he supposed to answer the detective..? _It’s a gun that I have taken to be my keepsake of you… a token of my promise to you as you died before me and I could do nothing to help_. Yeah, that would definitely answer him alright…

“On Sunday, then. It’ll be a free day for all of us, so we won’t be pulling each other out of school and work to steal it. So… on Sunday noon, let’s meet at the entrance gate of Shujin, alright? And from there on… we start the infiltration.”

“That’s alright with me… except for one thing.” Akechi said, tilting his head. “Kamoshida has to be extremely angry right now. Shouldn’t we gauge how bad of an effect it has on his Palace before heading in for serious infiltration?”

“Good point.” Akira nodded. “How about we go in tomorrow for just a little peak, clear however much turf we can, and then do the proper infiltration on Sunday?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Me too.”

“It’s a plan, then! Oh, we’ll need one more thing.” Morgana grinned, his tail swishing happily. “Codenames. We can’t just yell our real names in a Palace, right? Who knows what kind of effect that might have on Kamoshida’s cognition.”

“Oh, then I wanna be named after that mask! How about _Skull_? That’s cool, right?”

“Well, I don’t have any objections.” Akechi shrugged, before tilting his head with a smile. “Any ideas for mine?”

“Hm. _Birdie mask_. Or, no, I have a better one! How about _Conan_ since you’re detective an all?”

Akira almost doubled over with laughter. Oh god, this was definitely better than their previous choosing of Akechi’s codename. Still, the detective himself was not amused, and he promptly shut both of Ryuuji’s proposals, before turning to Morgana.

“Well… with your clothes looking like they do, how about _Prince_?”

“Definitely not. Kurusu?”

“You’re our trump card, strength-wise… _Ace_?” Akira smiled, and on that, Akechi seemed to actually think a little before he decisively shook his head.

“I am known as _ace detective_ on some of the programs I attend. A codename should be something that masks one’s identity, no? Let me think…” he rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes, before smiling.

“…how about _Karasu_?”

“Agreed, only let’s not make it Japanese; it’s too similar to my surname this way. How about _Crow_ , instead? That’s more cool-sounding.”

“That I can agree for. So, we have Skull and Crow… Morgana?”

“The cat’s gotta be _Mona_.” Ryuuji shrugged. Morgana sighed at that, but upon hearing no reservations, agreed to this, too. “So, that leaves us with yours…”

Akira smiled, watching them all think. Who’d be the one to name him this time, he wondered..?

“You said I’m our trump card… but isn’t it the other way around?” Akechi smiled at him, and Morgana tilted his head.

“So you want _him_ to be _Ace_?”

“Oh, no. I think _Joker_ fits better… don’t you?”


	5. Tightening Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prank Akira has pulled on Kamoshida seems to have greater effect on the Metaverse than on the real world. 
> 
> The Phantom Thieves gain another member, and Akira gets another late-night visit from Goro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hina drew a comic inspired by this chapter! Thank you so much omg ;;
> 
> You can read the comic here:
> 
> [part 1](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1088597407653416961?s=20)   
>  [part 2](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1088601238508355584?s=20)

The toast to their plans was a strange one; done with a glass of coke, one cup of tea and one of coffee – and a cat’s paw, for the lack of drink on Morgana’s side. Still, they toasted and ate and drunk, and by the time they left the diner, Akira was feeling warm and pleasantly excited, and not expecting to run right into Ann arguing on the phone the moment he got to the station.

_Wait, what? This shouldn’t be happening! Kamoshida can’t possibly try to get her to come over all stinky and gross the way he is now!_

Well, perhaps Akira underestimated just how much of a douchebag the teacher was. Perhaps it was all in vain…

He saw Ann look up and snap at him, and before he knew it, she ran; and he ran after her, just like he did in that other future.

_Perhaps it wasn’t so bad, after all. I can make Ann not go; and with our prank, Shiho should be safe, as well… I’ll make sure she is._

He caught up to her, and by that time, Akira resigned himself to reliving the future he already knew as they went to Big Bang Burger and sat in the booth, the raven letting the girl spill her heart out for him. The feeling of déjà vu was causing him a major headache, and yet with every word, Akira realized this was truly for the best. He kept to more or less what he said back then, too, wanting it to have the same effect. Only by the end did he change his tone a little.

“…I think that’s the right decision, not to go… but… will your friend be okay?”

Ann looked up at him, her eyes big and suddenly alert.

“…you think he’ll go after Shiho, if I refuse?”

“That’s what he does, isn’t it..? Using you to get to her and her to get to you. If I were you… keep an eye on her. She might not have a stranger to keep her from going, but she has you. And… there isn’t anything Kamoshida can do to you if you refuse and have one another’s back, yeah? Don’t let the bastard get to you.”

Ann smiled at him hesitantly, a look of gentle gratitude on her face.

“…thanks, Kurusu-kun. It’s… hard to believe you’re the bad guy everyone’s been talking about.”

“Oh, I’m bad to the bone.” Akira smiled gently, leaning back on his seat.

They talked a little while longer, before Ann excused herself; taking out her phone with a determined look on her face that told Akira Shiho and Ann will be perfectly safe tonight. With a smile, Akira took out his own phone, and bit his lip at several messages he missed from both Akechi and Ryuuji. Ryuuji’s were quickly taken care of, but Akechi’s…

**Crow:** Have you gotten home safely, Kurusu?

 **Crow:** There is something I’m curious about. Would you mind if I visited you at Leblanc again?

 **Crow:** Kurusu..?

And then, after some half an hour…

 

 **Crow:** …ah. Sorry, I was just cycling past and I saw you at the BBB.

 **Crow:** Enjoy your date.

 

Ah, damn. Why did Akira have a feeling he screwed up somehow here? It’s not like it was a big deal… true, Akechi might have felt bad, having his messages go unnoticed with the record-low self-esteem he seemed to have. Especially if he thought Akira was out on a date… damn, why was _that_ misunderstanding bothering the raven this much? It’s not like he never dated before, even if the thought of dating Ann felt strange. With how much he remembered from that other future, Ann felt much too much like a sister to him to even think about dating her. With a sigh, and feeling more anxious and annoyed every second, Akira let his thumbs hang over the keyboard before starting to type.

 

 **Joker:** Sorry, I had my phone on silent.

 **Joker:** And it wasn’t a date

 **Joker:** That girl was Ann Takamaki

 **Joker:** I overheard her trying to fend Kamoshida off over the phone

 **Joker:** Turns out he tried to pressure her into going to his house tonight, alone

 **Joker:** We kind of ended up talking, and she calmed down a little

 **Joker:** I think she’s gonna be fine

 **Joker:** Do you still wanna meet up?

 **Joker:** I’ll be in Leblanc, so lemme know

 

Akechi didn’t respond, and Akira sighed. For the whole ride home, he was playing with his hair and kept checking his phone, and by the time he reached Leblanc, his mood was so sour he barely nodded over at Sojiro as the man welcomed him home.

The buzz of his phone made him almost drop it, but he was so relieved to have felt it; and even if the reply was pretty damn late, Akira was more than willing to forgive it. Hell, who’d have thought he’d react this badly to feeling as if he couldn’t reach out to Akechi anymore? Seriously… what’s with that? It really started to feel more and more like some obsession.

 

 **Crow:** Oh… okay then

 **Crow:** It’s late now, so maybe another day

 **Crow:** You sure it wasn’t a date, though? I mean, it’s not like there’s anything wrong with that.

 **Crow:** And she was really pretty from what I saw.

 **Joker:** It wasn’t  a date. I’m not interested in her like that

 **Joker:** Wait, why are you asking? Are you interested in Ann?

 **Crow:** I’m definitely not! I wasn’t asking because of that!

 **Joker:** Such passionate denial. Suspicious

 **Crow:** You’re an ass, Joker

 **Joker:** lies. I’m absolutely delightful

 

* * *

 

Again, it was almost scary how – at the same time – similar to this other future everything was, and yet so completely different. It served as a rather terrifying reminder to Akira that a lot of what had happened was unavoidable after all, and that no matter how many little things and details he was changing, his overall fate might not be so easily turned.

They were followed into the Metaverse by Ann by pure accident this time. Well, by something of an accident. She cornered Akira in the little alleyway they used as a meeting spot, telling him, in a desperate voice, how last night they had a sleepover with Shiho, and how her friend finally told her about all the abuse she was experiencing. Ann wanted to take it to the principal, but Shiho only told her she already tried; and that as long as Kamoshida brought the school prestige, no one will do anything to him.

And so, Ann asked to be a part of whatever mission to defeat Kamoshida they were obviously a part of. She argued – and had a point – that a group of the famous transfer student with criminal record, the school troublemaker and a detective prince from another school pointed towards suspicious dealings. They managed to chase her off, only to find her in the Metaverse again once they stepped into it. Akechi was, surprisingly, the one most annoyed by that, and it was him and Ryuuji who threw her out into the real world again.

They were here to gauge Kamoshida’s security measures, and indeed, a good thing they did. The prank had to leave a lasting impression on him; whole side of the castle was now in ruin, a gaping hole staring at them in one of the walls roughly where the gym was situated in the real school building.

“Wait…” Crow frowned, adjusting his mask as they stared at the ruin. “That’s our doing, isn’t it? We made him see the gym, his sanctuary, as something that could be breached and defiled.”

“Ooooh, good thinking, Crow!” Mona jumped up and down in excitement. “Think we can try to scour the castle wall from the outside, now? That’d make for a huge shortcut! Maybe we could establish our infiltration route today instead of Sunday, after all!”

They could, in fact, do just it. The rubble made for a rough staircase they managed to quietly climb on, unperturbed by rather deadly looking shadows lurking inside of the castle. They climbed all the way up the tower; only there did they encounter actual enemies, and even they weren’t that great of a problem with how fresh and rested they all were.

The next fight was an ambush, and Akira was only at first surprised to see… a simple Pixie hanging there before them. He heard Akechi’s amused scoff and pointed his gun at her, only to stare when his Nataraja failed to kill the shadow in one go. And then, he understood.

Oh, _really.._? It had to be the Pixie, again..?

Just as he thought of it, the shadow talked; and Akira barely managed to reply before she recognized him and the blue flame swept over towards him, swirling around his mask as he felt the distinct, tingling feeling of another Persona taking residence in it.

_Well, now I definitely need to find out how to access Velvet Room in this timeline. It’s kind of weird Igor didn’t contact me by now, to be honest._

They found a safe room after that, and Akira was just about to get interrogated by Akechi on just how was it possible for him to turn Shadows into his new Personas when they were interrupted. There was an alarm, shadows running by the door to their safe room, and that was enough for Akira to know that Ann found her way into the castle again – and was in danger.

No one objected when Akira proposed they find out what was happening. They followed him down the familiar, deserted corridors down to where Ann has been taken to – shackled to the weird cross and all. Another hostage situation, another moment of frustration and dread among his party, and Akira’s brief moment of wonder at how they referred to him for orders, even before establishing him as a leader there…

“Are you just going to let him get away with all this?” he heard himself yell, hands clenched as he implored Ann to face the truth; to finally awaken to her Persona. He remembered it from before, from this other future; he remembered Kamoshida’s disgusting grin, the similarity of the situation so strong the déjà vu was giving him a headache all over again.

“Isn’t Shiho your friend? The only one in the world? Aren’t you prepared to do anything for her?!”

All of a sudden, even as his eyes were focused on Ann’s writhing, screaming figure as she broke her restraints and tore off her mask, Akira could feel Akechi’s eyes on him. The intensity of the look almost felt like it was burning his skin; and as the raven looked away from the blue inferno from which Carmen was soon to emerge, their eyes met; and he shuddered, without knowing why. Before he could ask; before they could understand one another, however, the connection has been broken; and the fight begun, and their escape followed.

 

* * *

 

“Which one do you want?”

Ryuuji’s voice was light and easy as he offered Ann one of two bottles he carried. Behind him, Akechi threw Akira a bottle of green tea before opening the one he got for himself. Still, he sighed and gave it over to Ann once she asked for something not-carbonated, and Akira couldn’t help but smile at him. He offered they could share his bottle, and was amazed at the soft expression passing over the detective’s face as he hesitated, before accepting the offer.

They filled Ann in on what was happening fairly quickly; and it didn’t take a long time for her to ask to join them. Akira honestly couldn’t believe his luck. Not only did they manage to save Shiho already, Ann still awakened and joined them, and they even ended up with a better infiltration route than before. The raven enthusiastically agreed, as did Morgana; after a moment, Ryuuji followed, and at last, so did Akechi. The detective didn’t look _too_ happy about it, but Akira wasn’t worried. He’ll learn to be friends with all of them, eventually. Akira will make sure of that.

“Well then, if we’re going to be a team, you can just as well call me Ann! Oh, and we should exchange contact info, too.”

“Lady Ann…” Morgana sighed happily, as Akira chuckled at him before looking over at Akechi, who seemed to be choking on his tea.

“Should we all refer to one another by our first names, then?”

“I don’t see why not?” Ryuuji shrugged, punching Akira lightly on the arm, which ended up making him laugh again.

“Let’s all get along, then.”

“Yes! Wait, I know Ryuuji, obviously, and Akira already introduced himself to me… what about you, Akechi-senpai? Is it okay if I call you by your given name..?”

Was it just his imagination, or did the detective not look too keen on that? Akira frowned, before smiling lightly and resting his weight on Akechi’s shoulder, just as Ryuuji mirrored the gesture on the other side of him, making the detective yelp and bend down.

“Come on~ Join the team, Goro~” Akira grinned, which earned him a blush and a mumbled curse that got Ryuuji to whistle.

“Alright, alright! Now can you two jerks let me go?” he growled, wiggling away from Akira’s and Ryuuji’s hands and leaning against the wall, straightening his clothes and looking very much annoyed… only, not really so. He looked more like he tried to keep up the annoyed look instead of smiling at them, really.

“Goro-kun it is, then!” Ann  chimed out, and Morgana purred happily as he looked around the group.

“Now it feels like we have a proper team… doesn’t it? A proper team of Phantom Thieves!”

“Phantom Thieves..?” Goro tilted his head, finally looking more curious than pissed. Morgana chuckled and stuck his head further out of Akira’s bag, explaining.

“Well, that is what we are. A team of gallant thieves, ready to steal the distorted hearts of crooked adults!”

They looked at each other, and all around, Akira could see everyone smiling. Yeah, well. It did sound cool.

“I’m not sure if I should be alright with being called a thief, though.” Goro laughed quietly, and Akira winked at him.

“Oh, shut up. I’m pretty sure it only makes you cooler if you’re like… detective by day and a phantom thief by night, Goro.”

The detective scoffed and looked away, his cheeks dusted pink; and as he looked at her, Akira saw Ann smiling to herself like she realized something, and then looking between him and Goro with knowing eyes. Really, this was starting to bother him. Akira sighed, shaking his head. He’ll find out what this was all about, someday. For sure.

 

* * *

 

It was already past the time Sojiro left the café, closing behind himself when Akira walked down from his attic, wanting to grab some water from the fridge. He visited Takemi on his way home, did his first clinical trial and remembered – too late – how shitty these could make him feel afterwards, especially at the beginning.

There was knocking on the door, just as he pulled out a bottle; and for a moment, Akira felt a jolt of old fear shoot up his spine. What could it be about..? The café was already closed, and even if some of the lights were still on, the sign outside clearly spoke it was so. Still, the raven walked over and – upon seeing who it was on the other side – smiled with relief and opened the door, a grin already forming on his face. Goro was standing on the other side, his bike leaning against the wall, just like few days before.

“…sorry I didn’t message you.” the older boy mumbled, not looking at him. “I was cycling, and by the time I thought of texting, I was already here…”

“It’s fine.” Akira grinned, opening the door widely and inviting Goro into the café, showing him to sit by the counter as he prepared coffee for the two of them. “Getting lost in thought again, huh? You should be more careful, I don’t want you to land on a lamppost someday.”

“Haha, very funny.” Goro scowled at him, though he sat down and let out a long breath as he watched Akira prepare their coffee.

“Hungry? I could finally make you that curry…”

“Maybe another time.” Goro smiled lightly, and that singular smile made Akira pause in what he was doing and look at Goro with a frown. It was his Detective Prince smile; the fake one, the one it was so frustrating to claw under whenever it appeared. With a sigh, Akira set the two cups of coffee before them and sat down beside his friend, nudging his shoulder lightly.

“Okay, something’s bothering you. Talk to me.”

“…how do you even _know_?” Goro murmured, cupping the coffee in his hands as he looked at Akira with a frown, before sighing and shaking his head. “There are… a few things.”

“Tell me.”

“I’d… prefer to start with some questions I have for you.”

“That’s fine by me.”

“Can you tell me about your gun…?”

_…oh._

Okay, fine, he _was_ expecting this question, sooner or later. It was hard to pretend his extremely powerful and frankly, way too ornamental gun was simply a tool. Akira knew he cared too much for this particular weapon, showed his connection to it too obviously. And here Goro was, seeing through him, curious why was it so special.

“…what about it?”

“That’s… what I’d like to know. I’ve seen you in battle a few times already, and… the way you hold it, the way you use it, even the way you are unwilling to switch it for something else… plus, the over-the-top design… It made me curious for some time already.”

Akira sighed, leaning against the counter and resting his chin on his folded arms. He didn’t want to hide things from Goro. This was seriously the last thing he wanted to do, especially now, that their connection grew strong, that he saw the detective open up to him. But how would he explain something such as this to the other boy..?

“…you know how guns and weapons appear together with our Personas…?” he murmured quietly, and Goro looked at him curiously, before nodding. “That wasn’t the case with my gun. I only got my dagger when I awakened. That winged gun… it’s a model I had for a while, although I have no idea how it got into my hand at the Palace. And it has… great sentimental value to me.”

“Can you tell me more?”

“There… was someone. You can probably tell by now, but I seem to have a thing for saving people, huh… well, this was someone I couldn’t help, no matter how much I wanted to. They… they’re gone now, but before that happened, they made me promise them something. That gun… I got it from them, kind of. It’s been a token of that promise ever since.”

“Did you manage to keep that promise?”

“Yeah… but what does it matter? I still wasn’t able to save them. No matter what I did afterwards, I was too late for them. If there is one thing I want… one thing I’d like to change in my life, up until now, it would be this. Managing to get to them in time…”

Akira sighed, closing his eyes. It felt… more than a little bit strange, how they were talking about this. Gods, if Goro only knew they were talking of his own death and his own promise… the raven flinched lightly, feeling a warm, gloved hand rest over his shoulder, but quickly relaxed under the touch. Was Akechi Goro comforting him…?

“…why do you wear gloves…?” he murmured, the question spilling before he had a chance to hold it. Well, he never really got around to asking Goro that, to be honest; he never really had a chance to find out.

“…huh? Oh, they’re just…” Goro hesitated, before sighing and shaking his head. “…I shouldn’t lie. You replied truthfully to my question, so it’s only fair… And, besides, it’s really the other reason why I wanted to talk to you tonight.”

The detective rested his hands on the counter, looking at them with unseeing eyes before reaching for his cup and sipping the coffee quietly. When he spoke again, it felt as if he made some kind of a decision.

“Again, I won’t be able to tell you the whole story at the moment.”

“Sure.”

“…alright. Well…” Goro went quiet for a little while more, searching for the right words.

“I have told you before that I live alone. I did not specify, however, what the reason for it has been.” he started carefully, looking into his coffee as he spoke. “The truth is… I do not have any family left. My mother died when I was a child. I suppose… that is also the reason why I went cycling today, and ended up here, in need of a conversation, without even thinking of it. You see, tomorrow is the anniversary of my mother’s death. I never… really knew how to feel on that day.”

“I’m sorry…” Akira started, eyes soft and gentle as he listened quietly to what Goro had to say; the detective, however, shook his head. He was not done yet.

“My mother was… she tried. I suppose she really did, even if when I was smaller, I never truly thought about it like that. I lived with my mum until I was ten years old. It was just the two of us, in a dingy apartment, far away from here. It wasn’t exactly what you’d call a happy childhood, but we made do… at least I thought we did. One day, only a bit over a month before my tenth birthday, my mum didn’t come to pick me up from school. It wasn’t far, and I often walked home alone, but that day... I didn’t really want to go back. Perhaps I felt something wasn’t right that day, even more so than the others. When I finally got home…”

Goro stopped speaking, though his face didn’t betray his emotions. Akira looked at him with soft, worried look, leaning against the counter, but it seemed as if the detective didn’t even notice him there, lost in painful memories.

“…she was in the bathroom. Everything was red… I remember how I stood there, frozen to the ground. Even now I sometimes wonder… if I came home earlier, or was quicker to grab the phone and call for an ambulance, perhaps…” he sighed quietly, shaking his head.

“I don’t know how the blood got on my hands. It was everywhere, I probably touched something… but ever since then, I had… not a phobia, but an aversion to seeing my bare hands. I half-expected to see blood on them again.”

Almost without thinking about it, Akira covered Goro’s hand with his own, earning a surprised look from him. The older boy looked… strangely vulnerable. Then again, he did just speak of something pretty personal and painful to him. Go figure he had to feel that way.

“I’m sorry. That sounds… horrible.”

“Yeah… I guess it does, doesn’t it..?” Goro sighed, looking down again. “The thing is… Every year, on the anniversary, I go to a shrine, pray, but… my mind is blank. I feel like I only do it because that’s what I _should_ be doing. I don’t even feel too sad. Do you think… I’m broken, Akira? Shouldn’t you feel more than that, on the anniversary of your mother’s suicide?”

“…honestly? I don’t know.” Akira said quietly, leaning down so that he could catch Goro’s eye. “I mean… you said it yourself, it wasn’t pretty or easy for you. I don’t think it’s wrong, to not have the kind of bond with your parents society makes you think you should have. I mean… I had a perfectly fine childhood, and frankly? My parents haven’t called once since I moved over here, and I don’t miss them or think of them at all. So… I don’t think you’re broken or anything. You’re coping with what had to be a pretty damn traumatic experience, and you’re doing a great job of it is what I think.”

Goro looked at him; a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips, and Akira was extremely happy to see it was a genuine one this time.

“You always know what to say to make me feel better, don’t you?”

“Well, I try.” Akira grinned, and after a moment, Goro grinned back. He straightened up then, and it was clear that this conversation has ended. Akira didn’t mind that. He understood.

“Alright, so… my turn again, right? You… can have multiple Personas, too, can you not?”

“I guess I do. Don’t look at me like that, though; I had no idea something like that could just happen.”

“It’s an amazing power, to just… recruit Shadows like that.”

“You jelly?” Akira grinned, and to his surprise, Goro snorted, shaking his head in genuine laughter.

“…to be entirely honest..? I’m not. Surprising, I know.” he smiled, somewhat mockingly. “I… admire you more than I envy you. I do have two Personas myself, but I never thought of even trying to talk to the Shadows I encountered.”

“Well, everything’s before you, I guess.” Akira smiled, patting Goro’s hand before letting go. Ah, there it was again; the little flash of disappointment before the other boy leaned back as well. “So… anything else you came here to talk about?”

“I was hoping some conversation topics will occur to us along the way. Really, I just felt in need of companionship tonight.” he mumbled. “I mean, you’re lucky Morgana decided to stay with you… perhaps I should get myself a cat as well, although my landlady might just kick me out for that… or kick herself into my apartment permanently for it, knowing her. She’s one of the crazy old ladies.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be jealous of Morgana, if I were you. He’ll steal your bed and nag you to go to sleep before you can get anything done… He’s sleeping upstairs right now, and I’ll probably get a scolding of a lifetime if he notices I snuck back down instead of sleeping like a good boy.”

“Huh, that’s scary. You have a personal babysitter now.”

“Man, you have no idea…”


	6. I'll Reveal Your True Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day they will finally take Kamoshida's treasure arrives, and things do not go as planned.

 The blue taking over his dream and pulling him into the familiar – now open – prison cell was a welcome sight. Lavenza beamed at him as Akira stood up from his bed and walked past her, and Igor’s presence was warm and comforting to see.

“Welcome back, my trickster.” Lavenza said, moving back to stand beside Igor’s desk. Akira looked at the two of them with great relief.

“I’m glad to see you two. I was half-convinced I’ll be pulled into the old Velvet Room this time, too. Does it mean Yaldabaoth is gone, even now?”

The two looked at each other briefly, before Igor sighed and shook his head. Damn, it was good to hear his high-pitched, weird voice instead of the deep, rough one of the impostor.

“Sadly, no.” Igor said carefully, drumming his fingers on the desk. “This timeline is no different from the one you have already played your game in; and though you have awakened to your true form and completed your rehabilitation, and as such, this fake god has been banished from your own heart… his grip is still heavy on this world.”

“Nothing changed, then; only I don’t have this much contact with it.”

Lavenza nodded silently, and Igor looked at him with amusement.

“You are quick to adjust yourself.”

“Well, the situation needed quick adjustment, I suppose.”

“Yes, we have seen. You have chosen a path to mend the few mistakes you’ve made, even if it does not affect your rehabilitation… You are meeting the expectations we have for you. Perhaps; should you succeed; not only your own ruin could be avoided…”

“You’re talking about Goro, are you not.”

“Indeed.” Igor nodded slowly, before looking behind himself; at one of the many cells; and one that still had its door shut. Only now did Akira realize someone was laying there, and as he neared the barred door, he was shocked to see Goro, sleeping on the bed, in a ragged prisoner attire he himself used to wear.

“It is a rare enough thing, to see two Wild Cards manifest themselves almost at once… the boy is weak, though. He is already far on the path to ruin. Perhaps even one more wrong move might doom him forever… and take these who fight with him along. You may yet doom yourself, should you risk connecting your fate to his. What will you do?”

“I’m not leaving him.” Akira said quietly, his back to Igor, hands wrapped around the cold, metal bars. “I have failed to save him once. I will not allow that to happen again.” he sighed, and turned to Igor.

“Can he see you, too? Can you help him?”

It was Lavenza who replied to him this time, shaking her head sadly.

“Whenever he awakens to Velvet Room, it is its old inhabitants he sees. There is no guidance we are in power to give him, and no guidance that false god would offer him, either.”

Akira nodded quietly, with a determined look.

“I have thought as much. Is there anything else?”

“Only as much as you decide. We are here to assist you, my trickster.” Lavenza smiled at him again. “You will be given access to the whole of Velvet Room, just as before. I wish you all the best on whichever path you decide to tread this time…”

 

* * *

 

Akira offered to spend the next day with Goro, and has been politely, but firmly turned down. He didn’t mind; the proposition was a long-shot anyway. Something this personal was admittedly not something they should be sharing at quite this stage of their friendship. Akira was good with simply letting Goro know he was there for him should he need him, and let the other boy have his distance should he need that instead.

The two days they got until Sunday gave Akira a chance to prepare and work on the bonds he was neglecting up until then. There were so many people to meet; he had to help Tae with her research again, spend time with Ryuuji and Ann, take care of their weapons and medicine for the Metaverse… the two days flew past before he knew it, and Akira felt a lot better prepared than he did on his first run as he stood in front of Shujin’s gate and waited for the rest of them.

The infiltration went on without any more surprises this time, thankfully. The breach in the tower was still there, and the expansion of the castle they were able to bypass like this saved them a lot of time and energy. Sure, the few tougher guards he remembered from before were still there; but this time, Akira already remembered their weaknesses, and could exploit them all he wanted. Having Goro on the team, too, proved incredibly valuable; and with every time he fought, Akira was happy to see them get even more in tune, and Goro himself get even more comfortable with Robin Hood.

The detective was truly the one that seemed to be learning the most while fighting with them. Whether it was sneaking past Shadows instead of fighting them, finding and opening treasure chests, negotiation or acting as a team, Goro listened to all explanations intently and followed them. He was a quick study. By the time they arrived in throne room and quietly scurried behind the throne and into the treasure room, he was easily falling in with all of them. And once they finally entered the room, it was with all of them that the detective gasped and stared at all of the gold – and the Treasure, floating above.

“…that’s it, then?” he murmured, and Akira let himself relax, hands slipping into his pockets. Morgana skipped happily as he moved in front of them, explaining all about the idea of the calling card, the treasure materializing, finally stealing it and the changes that it would entail. All this, too, seemed new and somewhat distressing to Goro, to whom Akira was paying much more attention than to the explanations he already knew.

“So, to sum it all up.” Akira finally said, tearing his eyes away from his friend. “We go back to the real world, rest up and send the calling card. Then, the Treasure will materialize, and we will be able to steal it. Once we do, Kamoshida’s distorted desires will disappear and he will become an honest man.”

“As expected from you, Joker! You got it!”

“Then, this is all we do here for today, right? Let’s return to the real world for now, and let ourselves regroup; and talk more about when do we send it.”

 

* * *

 

They agreed to meet up the next day; though they didn’t have any tangible deadline yet, Akira pushed for it to be as soon as possible, on the excuse that they didn’t know how long Kamoshida will be considering his precious gym breached. They all agreed, more or less enthusiastically, and soon Ryuuji and Ann moved towards the underground station while Akira went with Goro to get his bicycle; more so because Ann insisted they should go together than from his own incentive. Not that he minded, of course; he’d gladly go with the other boy anyway, curious of what questions and thoughts Goro had for him this time. After his visit in the Velvet Room, Akira has been even more certain that the true focus of his actions this time – no matter how much he enjoyed building all of his previous relationships once more – was to help Goro; to save him. Spending as much time as possible with the other boy only served towards that goal.

“Tired?” Akira asked with an easy smile as he carried his bag gently, noticing Morgana has already fallen asleep in it. Really, perhaps the cat had some obsession with sleep… or perhaps he was simply a cat, and that was all there was to it. Still, it gave him a nag-free moment with Goro, and Akira wasn’t going to complain about _that_.

“Frankly, I’m exhausted…” Goro smiled at him, unlocking his bike. The boy sounded pleasantly relaxed, excited, even. Akira thought to himself that was quite a rare sight. Normally, Goro would only reserve this expression for relaxing in Leblanc… ah, and perhaps for one of the dinners they shared at the diner. Did it mean they were getting closer? He certainly hoped it did…

“Not as badly as I could have been, though. I’ll at least make sure to cycle home without falling asleep on my bike.”

“Please do. I’m gonna need you tomorrow, so all accidents need to be postponed until after that.”

“Only after that? That’s cold.”

They both laughed. Akira shook his head lightly and leaned back against the wall, allowing for the little moment of respite. Goro was already standing by his bicycle, but he didn’t seem in a hurry, either, no matter how tired he claimed he was.

“So… I’ll contact you tomorrow. Ryuuji said he’ll take care of the calling card, and I’m pretty sure you’re curious how this’ll end.”

“Yes… I was surprised you agreed to it being him, actually. It’s not like I will be the one at risk if he screws this up, so I didn’t object, but still…”

“Hey, Ryuuji’s a good guy. He can do it.” Akira grinned, patting Goro’s arm lightly. “You just need to get to know him a little bit better to see there’s more to him than you notice at first.”

“I’m… not certain I’m up for the challenge.”

“Come on, you definitely are.” Akira smiled again, and he saw the detective give him a hesitant smile of his own.

“Perhaps, if you insist. I can’t go against the recommendations of our leader, can I?”

 “…am I the leader, then?”

“I don’t think any of us have any doubts.” Goro continued to smile, and Akira felt himself melt, if only just a tiny bit.

“Either way… be here tomorrow, okay? After school, we’re coming in. And you better get some rest, too. So no cycling during the night.” Akira chuckled, seeing Goro laugh once more. Has the detective always laughed this much, this genuinely? Definitely not… and yet, this change was not enough yet. Akira still remembered Goro’s emaciated, ragged figure sleeping in the Velvet Room cell, beyond his reach… they had still ways to go.

“What are you, a Morgana?”

“For you? Yep, I am.”

“Goodnight, Joker.” Goro shook his head with a chuckle and seemed to hesitate for a moment. His eyes darted down, and Akira tilted his head, wondering what the boy detective was thinking when Goro shook his head slightly, as if to himself, and smiled at him again. Puzzled, the raven leaned back as well – when did they get so close? – and gave the other a little wave.

“Goodnight, Crow. Be careful on your way home, alright?”

“Mhm. You, too.”

 

* * *

 

 **Joker:** okay so remember how I told you Ryuuji got it?

 **Joker:** _callincrd.jpg_

 **Joker:** _closeup.jpg_

 **Crow:** …oh dear

 **Crow:** that’s

 **Crow:** …actually, that’s better than I expected.

 **Joker:** I told him you loved it.

 **Crow:** I did not say that.

 **Crow:** Did it at least work?

 **Joker:** yep. Definitely. Kamoshida’s fuming.

 **Crow:** That’s good. I’ll see you right after school, then.

 **Crow:** Oh, and Joker..?

 **Crow:** Did he say anything to you?

 **Joker:** He suspects me and Ryuuji were behind stinking up his gym and himself

 **Joker:** And behind the calling cards

 **Joker:** He said we’ll get expelled by the next board meeting

 **Crow:** When’s that?

 **Joker:** May 2nd

 **Crow:** …let’s go kick his ass

 **Joker:** (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

 

* * *

 

No matter whether it was the first time Akira had seen it or the second, the monstrous sight of Kamoshida’s transformation was something he was sure he will never find any less disgusting. The monstrosity before them was enough to make the five of them fall into ranks, prepared for the worst.

Overall, their trip for the treasure – up to this point – was an uneventful one. Crow was focused and silent, Ryuuji anxious to go, Ann filled with quiet determination. Even Morgana felt uncharacteristically restless as they snuck through the Palace and finally arrived at the empty throne room, run up the stairs and grabbed the crown – as soon as they unglued the cat from it, at least. Some part of Akira hoped that this time, they will be spared the exhausting fight; and this part of him was wrong.

Kamoshida’s demonic form was not just horrendous to look at, but to fight, as well. He seemed to target Panther most of all of them, and soon Joker assigned Mona almost exclusively to healing the girl while the four of them focused on attack. The battle was hard and painfully exhausting, but it was going well; until the moment Akira finally paid the price he knew he will need to pay, sooner or later, with how cocky he has gotten with his old powers finally in tow. He was just a bit too late to dodge, and Kamoshida’s golden knife pierced through him, causing him to groan and stumble as the blood gushed from his wound.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

He heard a cry of _Joker_ , and the next moment, warm arms cradled him, stopping him from falling. Crow was white under his mask, looking at his wound, before his expression changed. As Mona run over, he gently laid Akira down, standing up and turning to the towering monstrosity.

“…ah… _you shouldn’t have done that_.” he said, quietly, in a voice Akira remembered; in a voice that froze the blood in his veins.

“ _Now_ you’ve made me _angry_ …”

Red fire started to envelop the boy detective’s mask, spreading down over his body. As if it has been burnt, his white-and-red outfit gradually turned black and twisted, his mask turning into a toothy helmet, his gloves melting into claws.

“Mona, heal him.” he said, in a commanding voice that suffered no disobedience. “Panther, you’re in my support; Skull, the crown.”

As the team scoured to their places and Joker choked, trying to form a sentence, to stop him, he saw Crow letting the red fire envelop him completely; a manic laugh escaping him as he finally let the madness take over.

“ _I_ will take care of _him_.” he cackled, before moving into the position. “Come, _Loki_!”

The fight was like nothing else Akira had ever seen. He saw this form of his friend’s Persona before; he _fought_ it himself, and yet he couldn’t help but think that if _this_ was what Goro was truly capable of, during the fight on the ship he had to be either already wounded or simply not giving it his all. Now, he jumped from place to place, never steady enough to let Kamoshida think; the manic smile glaring from under his visor as he landed attacks again and again, with no care for his own safety or wounds. Panther was barely able to keep up healing him; even if Kamoshida managed to throw him off, Crow simply rolled over, stood up, jumped right back at him.

There was no strategy, only mad, frenzied flurry of attacks. Magic, claws, sword, gun, it made no difference, it seemed; everything was so smooth and fast they could hardly even follow the dark figure. Joker could scarcely do more than watch, begging Mona to be quicker about it, closing his ears to the cat’s nagging, to him explaining that the wound was too serious, too deep to leave half-treated. Finally, without him there, Skull managed to break the madness, jumping onto Kamoshida and knocking his crown down; and with Joker already at least mostly healed, he joined in for last all-out attack, watching with relief as Kamoshida’s monstrous form shrunk back down to his previous Shadow.

Good. They won. Everything was well…

The movement to his right caught Joker’s eye just in time. He didn’t think as he threw himself in front of Kamoshida, grabbing Crow’s forearms, feeling the other’s claws dig deep into his body. Over them, there was a clash, and one glance proved to Akira that Arsene was just in time, too, to block the heavy blow from Loki with his wings; a blow that would have surely killed Akira himself, should it have landed.

 

  


“Crow!” he yelled, feeling fear gripping at his heart. Not fear of dying and not one of injury; but of the blank look his friend’s eyes had behind that blasted visor as they looked at him, the boy thrashing in his hold, trying to get at Kamoshida’s covering shadow behind him.

“Goro…” Akira whispered, desperately, pleadingly. “Shhh… it’s over. It’s done.”

Finally, finally, there was focus in these blank eyes like crusted blood. Loki disappeared and so did Arsene, and the pressure of the claws digging into his forearms lessened and then disappeared. Slowly, the black and blue melted away to white and red, and Crow fell forward, exhausted, right into Akira’s welcoming arms.

“It’s over.” he whispered again, resting his cheek against the side of Goro’s head. “You’re okay, Crow. I’ve got you.”

“…I hurt you.”

“You saved my life, you reckless idiot.” Joker smiled and gently moved them over, pulling Crow’s arm over his shoulders and supporting him as they moved towards the dumbstruck shadow Kamoshida.

The moment couldn’t have lasted more than a minute; and yet, once they faced the rest, Mona, Panther and Skull were watching them with wary, wide eyes. They were scared, and Joker couldn’t blame them; scared of the power they witnessed, scared to see one of their own being attacked, scared to see Joker’s arms bleeding from where the claws cut him. He spoke to them, though; quietly, Crow barely conscious in his arms from exertion; and soon, the shock fell from their faces and Ryuuji picked up the small crown, as they cornered shadow Kamoshida once more, making him swear to return to his previous self, making him swear he’ll atone.

And then, the Palace broke down, and for the first time since the start of this new game of his, Akira realized he might have fucked up somewhere along the way, because Crow was in absolutely no condition to run.

Just how did they manage to get out of the hell the falling-apart castle was, he’ll never know. Once they finally did, though, they were in much worse shape than he could remember. Ryuuji sat down on the ground, his face twisted in a pained grimace as he clutched his bad leg; Ann was wheezing not far from him with Morgana laying by her feet, and Akira was kneeling by the still barely-conscious Goro, trying to revive him somewhat. The bloody gashes on his forearms faded into angry-red bruises when they escaped the Metaverse, and soon enough, Goro’s own exhaustion turned at least bearable; and he was able to face them, as much as he didn’t seem to be too happy about it.

“…I apologize, everyone.” he mumbled, in a voice so desperate and unsure Akira did a double take. Goro was avoiding all of their eyes, staring at the asphalt he was currently seated on.

“Yeah, okay, _what the hell_ was that? Your clothes changed! _And_ your Persona! I didn’t know you had two!”

“That…” Goro sighed, leaning back against the wall of the alleyway.

“I knew.” Akira said in a calm, easy voice. “That’s why Goro was so confused the first time we entered; Robin Hood only came to him then. And what we saw today… that was Loki, right?”

“….yes. That was my original Persona, and my original Metaverse outfit. I… when I entered Kamoshida’s Palace with you for the first time, this wasn’t what I turned into, and Loki wasn’t the Persona that appeared. Instead of him, it was Robin Hood, just like Akira had said… I don’t know how is that even possible, but I was… grateful. I didn’t want to use my original one. I thought, if I could just continue using Robin Hood instead… but Loki is much more powerful. We needed power back then, but I lost control…”

“Yeah, you did.” Morgana frowned, pulling himself up and walking closer to Goro, looking at him with his head tilted. “You… that Persona, Loki, is too powerful for you, isn’t it..?”

Goro nodded slowly, a bitter expression twisting his lips.

“It always was. That’s why I tried to use it as little as possible.”

“…and that’s why you wanted to use only Robin Hood, huh.”

For a moment, there was silence; and then, Ryuuji interjected, rubbing the back of his head vigorously.

“Well, I don’t really understand, but whatever it was, it was awesome!”

“ _Ryuuji!_ ”

“What, it was! Didn’t you see this guy? He pretty much took on Kamoshida by himself! And hey, nothing bad happened, yeah?”

“Well, I agree we needed a power boost, with Joker wounded and all, but…”

“Was it not for Goro, we might have been in a _lot_ of trouble back there.” Akira said evenly, and Goro jerked his head up, looking at him with disbelieving look. “You’ve saved us; and it’s as Ryuuji had said, all’s well that ends well.”

“Still, that was a really irresponsible thing to do!”

“…I agree, Morgana. I apologize to you all again.” Goro mumbled, looking down once more. Akira smiled and stood up, reaching his hand out to help the detective; and yet, all it took was for the other boy to take one look at his forearm to look away and stand up by himself. For Ryuuji, Ann and Morgana, the matter seemed to be settled, though. All of them stood up, slowly, and gathered their strength to head home, happy after a job well done.

“So, does it mean you’re like this guy, then?” Ryuuji grinned, slamming his hand down Goro’s back. The detective yelped, looking murderously up at the blond. “With multiple Personas and stuff..?”

“I… suppose so. I only have these two that I know of, though.”

“Still, that’s effin’ amazing!”

“I agree!” Ann was the next one to finally grin and get excited, looking at the two of them. She seemed much calmer now; and even Morgana lost his suspicious look and swished his tail as he looked at all of them approvingly. “Two Wild Cards..! You two really were amazing back there. And Ryuuji, with that crown..!”

“We all did great.” Akira smiled at them, before stifling a yawn as he leaned against the wall once more. “…and now we all need sleep, don’t we? Let’s meet sometime soon to discuss things over again. I’ll make a group chat for us, how about that? And let’s be on lookout for changes in Kamoshida, too…”

“Yeah… I hope he won’t have a mental shutdown or anything. Would suck if it ended up this way, huh…”

“We just need to wait. Meanwhile, we should think of pawning off this thing.” Akira smiled, raising up his hand where the Olympic medal shone brightly.

“Wha— Kamoshida’s medal?”

“So that was the core of his distorted desires… he thought that medal made him the king, huh.”

“I guess we should pawn it off as soon as possible. Would be bad if we were found having it, right?”

“Hey, but won’t it be stealing?”

“Heh, no worries.” Morgana grinned up at them. “Kamoshida has the real medal. This here is something made out of his cognition. It’s a fake.”

“Ah… then, that should be fine, right?”

“We should go somewhere nice for the money we get. Celebrate a little.”

“Sounds good! It will help energize us, to get a little break from school, right?”

“Man, I can’t believe we need to go to school tomorrow… Wanna ditch it?”

“No ditching classes! Crow, tell that monkey…”

But, Goro was not with them anymore. Somewhere in between their banter, he slipped away – presumably to where his bike was. And even as Phantom Thieves took it simply as him being exhausted and going home…

It made Akira worry.

Excessively so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks for this chapter's artwork goes to Spoof! You can find this wonderful artist at her [tumblr](http://spoofen.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/spoofen_art)


	7. True Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves deal with the aftermath of Kamoshida's Palace infiltration and plan a celebration party. 
> 
> Akira and Ann come to some important realizations.

**Joker:** how are you? did you get home safe?

 **Joker:** Crow?

 **Joker:** I’m about to fall asleep standing so I’m gonna go ahead and sleep now…

 **Joker:** goodnight, Crow

 **Joker:** let me know if you’re okay, alright?

 **Joker:** and thanks for going with us today

 **Joker:** we wouldn’t have done it without you

 

That last text was a lie – Akira knew perfectly well they would’ve managed it without Goro, as they did once already – but it’s not like the detective had to know that. As he laid on his bed, staring at his phone, Akira only grew more and more worried.

Why did Goro just run off like this, without goodbye? It was bugging him; as was the fact he refused to take his hand and seemed to be tormenting himself over Akira’s bruises that he himself caused. The raven sighed and closed his eyes, hand on his phone, waiting for it to buzz. He shouldn’t be so worried, he supposed. Loki was not only too powerful for Goro to use, the loss of control had to shake him up; and the fact that he had to be stopped and injured Akira while at it had to weigh heavily on him, too.

Was he worried they won’t accept him anymore? But they already did! Scratch Akira; after Goro’s attempted assassination of himself, getting cut a little bit was an easy thing to forgive. But Ryuuji and Ann and Morgana had never seen Loki’s form before, and yet, after the initial shock, they were more worried and excited about it than anything else.

Should he try calling the detective..? No, this made no sense, he was getting overbearing here. Perhaps he was just overthinking things. Perhaps Goro really was too tired to stay for their banter and fell asleep before he could text back. That would be… somewhat uncharacteristic, but not out of the realm of possibilities. _Calm down_ , Akira told himself, listening to Morgana’s soft, steady breathing. Everything was okay. Tomorrow he’ll text back, and if he didn’t, Akira will call to ask if everything was alright.

Yes, he should just relax and sleep. Akira nodded to himself, before a rather crooked smile twisted his lips. Yeah, he could think that however long he wanted, sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon.

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** I’m sorry, I fell asleep already by the time you sent me the message

 **Crow:** I’m okay

 **Crow:** Have a nice day at school and keep me updated

 

Akira woke up to these messages, and they both filled him with relief and made him worry further. He’d have much preferred to hear Goro’s voice telling him this; it was way too easy to lie over text, after all. Still, that at least meant Goro wasn’t ignoring his messages. It was good. It was a start.

 

 **Joker:** Good morning

 **Joker:** Glad you’re okay

 **Joker:** I’ll add you to the group chat so we can all talk together

 **Joker:** welp imma be late, talk to you once I’m on the train

 

A run to the station later, a group chat was made. In retrospect, Akira probably should have waited a bit with making it. With how much they had to talk about and with how few shits Ryuuji gave about focusing in class… and perhaps with how much Goro was usually against texting while at school. Without even meaning to, Akira tried to make the boy detective feel more at ease with them, and yet sometimes the old habits prevailed before he could have thought about it.

On the other hand, come on. It wasn’t as if texting a bit with all of them during class will hurt anyone. The detective needed to live a little, too, right?

 

 **Skull:** Okay people, so what do we do

 **Skull:** I checked on that medal

 **Skull:** guess how much we can get for it!

 **Crow:** …medal?

 **Crow:** More importantly, you know we’re in class right now, right?!

 **Panther:** As expected from Goro-kun! You’re really diligent, aren’t you?

 **Panther:** Ryuuji, you should learn from him.

 **Skull:** You’re texting, too!

 **Crow:** Seriously, what medal?

 **Joker:** That’s what you get for vanishing on us like that yesterday, detective

 **Joker:** Now you’ve gotta figure it out for yourself

 **Joker:** (¬､¬)

 **Crow:** …are you pouting?

 **Panther:** Oh cut it out, you two

 **Panther:** Goro-kun, once we got back to the real world, the crown turned into golden Olympic medal

 **Crow:** Ah, I see. So that was the source of Kamoshida’s distorted desires…

 **Crow:** Wait shouldn’t we return it?

 **Crow:** I can’t imagine it’ll be good if we got caught with actual Olympic medal…

 **Skull:** dude, it’s fine. Mona says this one’s fake, so we can sell it no problem

 **Crow:** I see.

 **Joker:** We were thinking of going to celebrate after selling it

 **Joker:** Speaking of which, how much did you get a hit for, Ryuuji?

 **Skull:** hehe~

 **Skull:** how does 30 grand sound?

 **Panther:**!!

 **Crow:** Really?! For a fake?!

 **Joker:** Nice! Where should we go to celebrate then?

 **Skull:** Sushi! Let’s go for sushi!

 **Crow:** …I might be with Ryuuji on this one

 **Crow:** I can’t believe I just typed that.

 **Skull:** HEY!

 **Panther:** Hey, Ryuuji~ Remember that time in middle school I lent you money~?

 **Skull:** …huh?

 **Skull:** Wait, no way I borrowed 30k from you!

 **Panther:** Interest, much?

 **Panther:** Do you even still have that dolphin?

 **Crow:**..?

 **Panther:** Eh, long story. I’ll tell you during the party.

 **Panther:** Actually, there’s a place I think we could all go to that’s great.

 **Panther:** I’ll ask for prices.

 **Joker:** As long as there’ll be good food.

 **Skull:** …I owe money so I have to agree

 **Crow:** I suppose 30k might be a little too little for sushi for four people and Morgana…

 **Crow:** Let’s go with Ann’s idea, then.

 **Crow:** Joker still owes me sushi anyway

 **Joker:** oh, /this/ you remember, huh.

 **Crow:** My assistance does not come cheap, you know.

 **Joker:** If sushi’s enough to bribe you? I’d say you’re pretty cheap.

 **Crow:** *Good* sushi, Joker. I am nothing of the sort.

 

Akira smiled and hid his phone, deciding not to try Kawakami’s patience with himself. She was trying to cut him some slack from time to time, he knew, with the kind of teacher she was, but taking advantage of it would only cause trouble. Especially before he could start to get closer with her and convince her he wasn’t exactly the troublemaker delinquent everyone thought he was.

Still, Goro seemed to be fine. He was bantering right together with everyone… perhaps Akira really was overthinking this, worrying like that. Maybe the detective really was exhausted yesterday. Gods knew he had a reason to be.

With this comforting thought in mind, Akira smiled and focused on the class; answering Kawakami’s question with hardly any hesitation. Remembering the questions and answers from his last run really did help in his daily life, huh… Once they were off school, they could meet again or just continue to discuss things through the chat. Until then – until Madarame – they had a lot of time. It was good to take a long breather now that Kamoshida has been dealt with.

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** Any news about Kamoshida?

 **Panther:** Nothing I know of. I don’t think he came to school today, though.

 **Crow:** Isn’t that bad..?

 **Joker:** We just overheard something! Apparently Kamoshida requested a few days off.

 **Panther:** Does it mean we did it right..?

 **Skull:** looks like it… I think?

 **Joker:** Let’s wait and see.

 **Joker:** Panther, what about that place you wanted us to go?

 **Panther:** I checked it out! If you guys are willing to pinch in 500 yen each, we can all go together ^^

 **Crow:** I apologize, I have few programs scheduled for the next weeks

 **Crow:** Juggling these together with school and exams coming might be hard, so you may need to go without me

 **Panther:** Oh come on, no way!

 **Panther:** We all need to go together, otherwise it won’t count!

 **Panther:** How about we do it during Golden Week, then? There can’t possibly be any recordings during that time, right?

 **Joker:** I second Panther there, it’s all of us or none of us. How does Golden Week sound, Goro?

 **Joker:** I’m guessing Ryuuji’s fine with it?

 **Skull:** …exams?

 **Skull:** Aren’t those like… in May?

 **Panther:** It’s April now, Ryuuji.

 **Panther:** You’re going to fail.

 **Crow:** Golden Week might work… probably

 **Crow:** It’s really alright if you go on without me, though

 **Joker:** Golden Week it is then. For all of us.

 **Panther:** I probably shouldn’t be this excited about it since we still don’t know if it even worked, but…

 **Panther:** I’m really looking forward to it!

 **Panther:** And it’ll be easier to focus on studying now if we have something nice like that coming soon.

 **Skull:** …study?

 **Joker:** Yes, that’s the thing you do not to fail, Ryuuji.

 **Skull:** Get off me, man!

 

* * *

 

Goro was busy for the next couple of days.

Akira supposed this was for the best. He really, really needed the time to spend with Ryuuji and Ann, and all of his other friends; some of which he had yet to meet. Still, the detective hardly ever left his mind, even while he was hanging out with people or working on so many things he still had to take care of day in and day out; and the few texts they exchanged every day just weren’t enough.

Was he really this obsessed with Goro..? It scared him somewhat. The other boy was important to him, of course; and his rehabilitation and the changing of his fate was exactly what Akira has been trying to work towards here, his main goal. But still… wasn’t he being too overbearing there? What if he scared Goro off..?

“…so… how has Goro-kun been doing?” Ann smiled at him from across the table, pulling Akira out of his thoughts. They were at the diner; talking about strengthening of hearts and whatnot; when the raven’s thoughts started to wander, again, as they so often did recently. Perhaps Goro was rubbing off on him, with that habit of his… oh, shit, and here he went again.

“I… we haven’t talked much lately. I haven’t seen him since the Palace, either… why do you ask?” Akira murmured, trying to mask his little slip back there. Ann just looked at him in that way she had; as if she knew something he didn’t even realize for himself. Perhaps she did. Akira has always been very much in touch with the emotions of people around him, but when it came to his own… he struggled at times. He’d blame that on having multiple, ever-changing Personas. It was hard to keep track with all of them there, cheering from the sides as he went on about his daily life.

“Oh, no reason. I’m just curious how are you two getting along is all.” Ann simply smiled at him again, mixing her drink as she did. “I mean, you were supposed to have a sushi date together, right?”

“What? Oh, that… I suppose I should invite him out, I promised it long ago.” Akira tilted his head, looking at the girl curiously, before blinking. “…wait, what date?”

“Akira, you are kind of oblivious, aren’t you?” Ann frowned at him.

“…you… wait, Ann, no, we’re not dating.”

“…are you sure about that?”

“I’m sure! We’re just friends..!”

“…why? Do you not like guys, Akira?”

 _Why, why was this conversation going there..???_ Still, Akira supposed that if there was one person he would feel completely and utterly comfortable confiding in this early on, it would have been Ann… Hell, but that was not the point here! They were just talking about the girl’s modelling career and her favourite cartoons when all of a sudden, the conversation turned to his sexuality. _That was definitely not how it went last time_ …

“…I didn’t say that.”

“So you do.” Ann smiled at him brightly.

“It… doesn’t really matter for me, I guess.”

Ann nodded, resting her chin on her folded hands. Akira reached his hand up, playing with the ends of his hair. Ah, this was embarrassing… Why was this conversation going the way it did? Has having Goro on the team changed that much in the dynamics between himself and his friends, or was there something else..? Then again, there were quite a few other things different. Shiho was still there and going to school together with Ann, and Ann herself was much more relaxed and happy than she was before. Akira guessed her troubles with modelling and strengthening her heart were just as much a topic of conversation between her and Shiho as they were with him back in the first run, and thus she had time to think of many different conversation topics… including whether he preferred guys or girls, and Goro in particular, it seemed.

Why didn’t Arsene warn him about _that_ when he told him about all the little things that could change the future..?

“So, now the question is… do you like Goro-kun, Akira?”

“…huh?”

Now, here was the question of the hour. Did he… _like_ the detective? Like this..? Akira frowned, thinking about it for a long while. They were… close, he had to admit that much. Goro was so completely different in this timeline, when he was not on guard and not trying to manipulate them, and not perceiving the Phantom Thieves as the figurative Moriarty to his Sherlock Holmes. There was a whole new world to the detective now; and Akira had to say he had a lot of fun discovering it. And yet…

“I never really gave it much thought, I guess… I really, really wanted him to be my friend, ever since we first met. Have I told you about this before?”

“No, you haven’t.” Ann was smiling softly at him, and Akira found himself smiling back as he recalled it.

“I just arrived in Tokyo, and we crashed into one another, coming from around the corner. _Literally_ crashed. My glasses fell off and someone stepped on them and broke them. Goro felt so bad about it he invited me for dinner on the spot.”

They both laughed quietly, Akira shaking his head as he recalled just how flustered the detective was back then. Who would have thought?

“We talked, and then we met again and talked some more… and it kind of went from there. But… I never really thought of it as in… attraction kind of thing. I mean, it _is_ really easy to talk to him, and I really enjoy it… and he _is_ handsome, and smart… Damn, he’s _devilishly_ smart at times. That day when we first met, all he needed was to look at me to know which school I go to, which grade, that I got recently transferred, even the circumstances of that all. He really is a great detective… and not just that, he can be so cute, I mean, have you ever seen this guy blush? And…”

Akira stopped, biting his lip, before groaning quietly.

“…oh shit, I do have a crush on him, don’t I..?”

Ann laughed, and Akira couldn’t help a rather annoyed look shot in her direction. Was he really so obvious that people noticed this before he himself did? What did it all mean, then? Should he pursue this..? On one hand, him and Goro growing closer would be a good thing… right? On the other, what if the detective didn’t feel the same way..? What if he only thought of him as a friend..? Trying to get into a deeper relationship could very well destroy the bond they already had… and Akira was just going to have another thing to overthink here, wasn’t he..?

“I never guessed you could be this oblivious to something like that, Akira.”

“Well, cut me some slack here, will you..? I… I mean… romance wasn’t exactly something I had in mind for the last few weeks. And we still barely know each other. I may have a huge crush on the guy, but it’s still…”

“I know.” Ann hummed, joining her fingers together and looking at him over them. “But, you said you and Goro-kun stopped talking? What happened?”

“Well, it’s not like we stopped talking entirely.” Akira mumbled, rubbing the back of his head before letting out a soft sigh. “It’s just… he’s busy with all the programs he’s been asked to film, and with school… I already kind of made him give up cram school, so I don’t want to push for us to spend even more time together after that. We are texting… but even with that, it’s much less than usual. He at least replies to all the texts I send him. I… was kind of worried about this for a while.”

“Huh…” Ann sighed, too, reaching out her hand and gently patting Akira’s shoulder. He looked up at her with a soft smile, and she smiled back at him encouragingly.

“Do you think he’s avoiding you, then?”

“Well… I didn’t _want to_ think that. It’s just… there’s this little thing. When he resigned from his cram school, we were talking how he could always come to Leblanc and study… you know, the place I’m living at. He was pretty excited about the idea. And… sometimes, he’d text me he’s studying at some library or at home so he’ll be quiet and I have this kind of… _welp, okay then_ reaction, you know? But… I don’t want to push him.”

“Hm…”

“I guess he is avoiding me, isn’t he…” Akira shook his head quietly. “Why, though? I mean, I didn’t know I had a crush on him myself up until today! I couldn’t be _this_ pushy… could I?”

“Maybe it’s not you, Akira. Maybe Goro-kun just feels guilty, since back then at the Palace you got hurt… It looked like it hit him pretty hard, right?”

“You think so? But then, that was nothing. He practically won the fight for us there. Why would he…”

Ann looked at him with a frown, as if he was being particularly stupid today. Akira was not going to argue with the idea that perhaps he was. It has been known to sometimes be the case, after all…

“ _Of course_ he’d care, Akira. He cares for you the most of us all, doesn’t he? And back then, it was kind of ugly… with how he lost control and how you had to jump in to stop him. Goro-kun probably feels both bad for hurting you and ashamed you saw him like that, and that’s why he doesn’t want to face you.”

“But… that doesn’t make sense. He _knows_ I don’t mind. I told him that without all that happening, we would be in big trouble, right?”

Ann shook her head, looking exasperated.

“That’s not enough. For someone who’s hurting because of something like that, it’s not just the matter of being told it’s okay once… But then again, maybe you’re right about the fact that Goro-kun might need some space. Just… try to let him know you’re there for him, alright? I will, too. Maybe he’ll go somewhere with me if I pester him long enough.” The girl giggled quietly. Akira felt his lips stretch in a bright smile.

“I will, and I think that’s a great idea. I know he likes our little band already, but it’s different, spending time one on one, right? So… try, and let me know how it went, okay? Just maybe please don’t tell him about all we talked about today, please..?”

“Of course. I’ll let you two idiots figure it out by yourself… even if I really do want to help out here and there.” Ann winked at him again and laughed.

 

* * *

 

 **Joker:** Crow, are you free rn?

 **Crow:** I still have a moment before class starts, why?

 **Joker:** We got called for surprise morning assembly

 **Joker:** Apparently the principal will be talking about reorganizing the PE class schedule, so it may be nothing

 **Joker:** But it concerns Kamoshida

 **Crow:** Can you call me?

 **Joker:** Sure. You’ll be in my pocket though

 **Crow:** Alright.

 

* * *

 

 **Skull:** YOOOOOOOOOOO

 **Skull:** Crow, did you hear all that?

 **Crow:** I did.

 **Crow:** We… really did it, didn’t we?

 **Panther:** We did. I still can’t believe it…

 **Crow:** I did not expect the effect to be this

 **Crow:** drastic, I suppose..?

 **Joker:** Yeah, the line about him killing himself was a bit much

 **Joker:** Good call there, Panther

 **Panther:** I simply believe there are fates worse than dying

 **Panther:** Kamoshida will be grovelling for forgiveness for the rest of his life

 **Panther:** He has no right to just die and run away from it all

 **Skull:** …you’re scary

 **Crow:** …seconded

 **Joker:** Mona agrees, too, so… thirded?

 **Panther:** Shut up you all.

 **Panther:** More importantly, we can finally think about celebrating properly!

 **Panther:** One more rain-check; we meet in Shibuya by Buchiko statue in three days, so May 5th, at noon

 **Panther:** Everyone alright with it?

 **Joker:** Roger!

 **Skull:** Yep!

 **Crow:** Ah… I… it might be impossible for me to go, after all

 **Panther:** But you don’t have any taping, right?

 **Crow:** No, that is not it… I’m not feeling well is all

 **Crow:** I suspect it’s the beginning of a rather nasty cold

 **Crow:** …please, go without me. I’d feel bad if my bad luck kept you from celebrating.

 **Skull:** Dude… we can just move it to another day..

 **Crow:** There is no need.

 **Crow:** Please.

 **Panther:** …well… I really wanted it to be all of us…

 **Crow:** I’m sorry.


	8. Envy and Isolation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira does not know how to lose; and the Phantom Thieves of Heart have a party.

“Are you… really sure this is a good idea?”

Morgana shook his head, his whiskers tickling Akira’s wrist lightly as he did. The raven scowled down at him.

“No, I am very much not sure it’s a good idea, but I kind of have no others at the moment, so stop meowing in my ear and look out for any signs we’re in the right place.”

They were in the residential area right past Shibuya; the very same Goro and Akira walked around back when they went for a walk amidst the falling sakura petals. Ever since telling them he won’t be joining their Phantom Thieves celebration, Goro was silent, only texting everyone that he will be turning off his phone as his eyes hurt and he was having a migraine, and that was it. And Akira got worried enough that – not having any other way of contacting him – he simply decided to visit the detective and take care of him if he really _was_ sick.

The task made only slightly more difficult but the little detail that Akira did not know where Goro actually lived.

“It’s gotta be here somewhere, right?” he murmured, when Morgana stuck his head out of the bag once more and sighed. “Can’t you like… catch his scent or something..?”

“Do I look like a dog to you..? No, I can’t!”

“Well, do you have any ideas?”

They arrived at the little park the two of them visited before, and Akira sat down on the bench heavily, frowning in frustration. He pulled out his phone, more out of habit than anything else, and twirled it nervously a few times between his fingers before looking at his messages.

 

 **Panther:** Any luck?

 **Joker:** None.

 **Panther:** Me and Skull are on stand-by in Shibuya, so let us know if you find out anything

 **Joker:** ok

 

“Oi, Akira?”

“Hm?” The raven locked his phone and turned to Morgana, who was standing with his paws pressing against the back of the bench, looking curiously across the street.

“Didn’t you say Goro had a bicycle?”

“Yeah, he does… why do you..?”

Akira turned towards the same direction his friend was looking in, only for his eyes to widen. He grabbed Morgana and stuffed him into the bag again, running towards what the cat discovered – namely, a bicycle parking space. It was a better hint than none at all; if they could find Goro’s bicycle, they could at least make sure he was living somewhere in the area. Akira looked from one to another, walking slowly through the rows of parked bikes; until finally, he let out a happy gasp, and Morgana stood on his hind paws, looking over his shoulder.

“That’s the one! I’m sure of it!” Akira said excitedly, turning to look at his cat.

“Ah… is something the matter, dear?”

An older, smiling lady neared the two of them, looking curiously from the boy to the cat and back again. Morgana slipped back into the bag, letting out something that Akira suspected was supposed to be a cute little meow. By the look on the lady, he actually succeeded in that impression.

Okay, okay, calm down. _Charm, work that charm up, Akira_.

“Oh, excuse me.” he smiled and bowed politely, pushing his glasses up. “It’s just… I was looking for a bicycle to buy and this is exactly the model I wanted… I just couldn’t find it in any shops nearby so when I saw it there, I started looking for the owner… since, um, perhaps he’d know…”

God, did he sound as lame as he thought he did? Nevertheless, the kind old lady beamed at him, looking at the bike in question and nodding to herself.

“Ah, but that’s Gocchan’s bike! You have a good eye, I always see that boy on and off of it.” she nodded to herself again, smiling sweetly. Akira could only blink at her, his mind suddenly going into overdrive. From his back, he heard Morgana suffocate in held-back laughter.

_…Gocchan..?_

“Gocchan is my tenant, dear; a sweet boy he is, too. I’m sure he won’t mind telling you where he got his bike.” She continued to smile, unaware of the world of possibilities the nickname just opened for Akira. Oh boy, _oh boy_ … Goro was in for a _world_ of teasing here.

The old lady was kind enough to show him the apartment block, and the number under which Goro lived, talking on and on about what a sweet boy he was and how Akira – or _Acchan_ , as apparently he was called now – should really come around more often, _Gocchan_ was such a lonely boy after all, no friends ever visited him. By the time he managed to politely excuse himself, Akira was already full on tea and snacks and with a packs of cat-biscuits stuffed into his bag beside Morgana.

“…gods bless old ladies, right?” the raven chuckled once they finally managed to leave and slowly ascended the stairs that were supposed to take them to  Goro’s apartment. Morgana groaned from inside his bag.

“If that lady hugged me and kissed my nose one more time… Crow better be at home…”

Akira laughed quietly and took out his phone, typing few messages out quickly before hiding it again and taking a deep breath, knocking on the door. For a long time, there was no answer, and Akira started to suspect the old lady didn’t give him the right address after all, until finally there was a sound of shuffling, quiet steps, and then of the lock clicking open and door opening. On the other side, there was a pale, tired face and ruby-red eyes of his friend, and Akira couldn’t help but smile broadly as relief washed over him. Oh god, finally. After two weeks of not seeing his face… who’d have thought he’d miss Goro that much. He watched as the detective’s expression turned from resigned, mild interest to alarm to shock and confusion.

“A-Akira..?” he stammered, and the raven felt his smile soften. The detective flushed deeply, and the door jerked lightly, as if Goro thought of slamming them shut but thought better of it.

“What… what are you doing here..?”

“Checking on you.”

“How the heck did you know where I live?!”

“I’m a stalker.” Akira deadpanned, frowning at the other boy. “And I see your _nasty cold_ let go, huh. Can I come in, or are you going to interrogate me on the threshold..?”

Slowly; and with a lot of conflict on Goro’s part, it seemed; the door opened fully and Akira stepped inside, taking his shoes off politely. Goro didn’t look like himself. His usual shirt was few buttons off and crumpled, tie loose, his hair in a little ponytail. Like that, he was as far from the always neat and tidy detective as he could get. The apartment itself was a small, but pleasant one; only, it didn’t really look like something anyone was living in at the moment. Everything was way too tidy and in its place, and there were no personal things Akira could see from where he stood by the door.

“…there. I let you in. Now, seriously… what are you doing here, Akira?”

“I told you, I’m checking on you. I was worried.”

“We all were.” Morgana chimed in, sticking his head out from Akira’s bag, making Goro’s eyes go wide again.

“…you’re here, too?”

“As if I’d let this guy go on a mission this important alone!”

“But… why…”

“Oh, you mean why would we be worried after not seeing you for two weeks, getting bullshit excuses every time we tried to meet up and then after the last one being refused all contact?” Akira scoffed, and Goro had the decency to look sheepish.

“…you should have just let it go.” he said quietly, not looking at Akira. “I told you, just go on without me. It’s not like you need me, so just go celebrate with your _friends_ and whatever. I don’t have time for all of you anyway.”

Akira stared; the downright aggressive tone the last few words were spoken in taking him by surprise. What was Goro getting at..? Were they not all friends..? Akira personally worked hard to make it so, so then why was Goro acting the way he did, saying the things he said..? The confusion had to appear on his face, because the boy detective sighed and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms on his chest as he looked away.

“…you don’t get it, do you. Look at the three of you. All from the same school, or liking the same things, all having fun together. Morgana fits in well, too, he’s a cat…”

“I’m not a cat!”

“…but me? I’m… the only reason I got in this mess was because I…” Goro bit his lip and shook his head. “I don’t fit in your group is all I’m saying. You like Ryuuji and Ann better than me anyway, and that’s fine, I can see why. So just… let me go back to being by myself and stop worrying about me. It’s not like I’m mad or anything…”

“…Goro.”

“No, don’t. You’re going to tell me you all care and that I fit and whatever, but I already know it’s not true, Akira. So just… can you leave..? And… I’d rather you didn’t come visit me again.”

Slowly, Goro pushed himself off the wall and reached for the door; and the same moment, Akira gently pressed his hand to his chest and pushed him back, nearing the detective.

“Goro, please. I need to talk with you. Something’s wrong; we both know you don’t mean what you say.”

“…you misunderstand. I’m…”

“Wait… you’re _jealous_. Of Ryuuji and Ann.” Akira said, suddenly realizing. He saw the flush and the angry expression as the detective pushed him off of himself at last.

“And if I am? That should only make it more obvious that I don’t fit in with you!”

“Well, it _doesn’t_. Why are you jealous, Goro..? You’re the one who kept telling me you’re busy… I wanted to see you every day for the last two weeks, and you were the one who isolated himself. How can you be jealous of Ann or Ryuuji when _you’re_ the one, whom…” Akira hesitated, and looked away, feeling his cheeks heat up, too.

“…but…”

“Don’t _but_ me, just check our chat logs if you don’t believe me. I tried to respect yours space, alright, I really did, but after two weeks, I just couldn’t take it anymore! Why do you think me and Morgana were walking around whole morning looking for a freaking miracle sign from the heavens to let us know where you live? Because I’m going to give you a hint, detective, it wasn’t because we were fed up with you and wanted you gone.”

Goro stared up at him for a moment completely shocked; and then, he looked away. To Akira’s shock, his eyes watered.

“I don’t _want_ to be one of you. I _can’t_ be one of you. It only complicates everything, it was never _supposed to_ happen… If… If I allow myself to do this… you’ll just find someone else who’ll be more important, more needed… sooner or later I’ll be replaced, right? I know that! And I don’t want this to happen, so just let me go by myself and save some of my pride while at it, okay?!”

“No, not okay!” Akira yelled right back; because that was what they were doing now, yelling at each other while Morgana meowed and jumped out of Akira’s bag and moved away from them.

“You’re _not_ going to be replaced, you idiot! You’re one of us, and you always will be, and you’re important, _so important_ I can’t even start telling you how damn wrong you are! And I _know_ it’s hard, and I know it’s scary because guess what, I’m scared too, but I want you to trust everyone and trust me and realize you’re being an idiot here!”

“You’re the idiot! Why would you want someone like _me_ there? That just doesn’t make sense! I’m powerful, sure, but you’ve _seen_ what I am in that Palace! I’m dangerous, I hurt you, I almost _killed you_ …”

For the second time, Akira pushed Goro against the wall, though this time, he did it while tugging his sleeves furiously up.

“Look down. Look!”

“Akira, what the hell are you—”

“I said, look!”

Slowly, though he squirmed and tried not to, Goro’s eyes finally moved down, looking with a bitter expression at the raven’s forearms; smooth and pale, with no sign of bruising on it.

“Not a mark, see? Do you know what _could_ have happened, if you weren’t there, if you didn’t use your other Persona for us? We could have all been _dead_ now. _I_ could have died!”

“You almost did, and because of me!”

“But I didn’t! I trust you, Goro! I would trust you again, in the same situation!” Akira yelled, and he heard the detective take in a shaky breath. He was breaking under him; the raven could see that. Just a few more words, just a little push…

“…I don’t want that to ever happen again.” Goro murmured, his voice quiet this time. He looked down; his long bangs hiding his eyes from view. Akira sighed softly, leaning down, trying to look at him even so.

_Come on, Goro, please._

“Then I won’t let it.”

“…Akira… that… you don’t understand, I…”

“I won’t let it happen, Goro. I won’t. If that is what you wish; if that is what you’re scared of… I won’t let you ever use Loki again. I will always be there, and I will always stop you before you lose it, and before you could hurt anyone. So _trust me_.”

Ah, and there it was. Goro’s expression shifted and broke, and the tears finally spilled as he slumped forward, forehead resting against Akira’s chest. His shoulders shook, and Akira didn’t even think before wrapping his arms tightly around him, praying to all the gods he could remember that Goro could not feel just how hard his heart was hammering in his chest.

“…again, you just keep doing that, aren’t you..? You just keep saying the exact thing that makes me feel better… Why are you like this? _Why_ are you doing this..? I’m _useless_ to you… You’re not getting anything from caring for me…”

“I try. You can start getting used to it. And… what do you mean, I’m not getting anything? I’m getting _you_.” Akira smiled lightly, hugging the other boy tighter. He smelt so nice… and Akira very much tried not to be the kind of creepy person who’d try to smell someone else’s hair. Fuck, he wanted to slap himself right now.

“I don’t understand you. Look… there are other things.” Goro murmured quietly against his chest. “Things I didn’t tell you about… things I _lied_ about…”

“I told you I trust you, didn’t I? Whatever is it you didn’t tell me, or lied about, I trust that it’s for good reason, and someday, perhaps you’ll feel comfortable talking with me about it. But that doesn’t change anything.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Akira.”

_Oh, I know. And I’m still saying all that, am I not..?_

“I don’t need to. Goro… no matter what you did and no matter what you’re hiding from me, I won’t push you away. I _promise_. Did I ever lie to you, or break a promise I gave you?”

“…you didn’t… but you’re too late. I’m… you can’t help me anymore, Akira.”

“I’m _not_ late.” Akira himself was surprised how harsh his voice sounded. Calm down… _calm down_. No, he was _not_ too late. He knew he wasn’t. “I refuse to be. _So_ _trust me_ , Goro, _please_.”

Slowly, the tears died down; and as Goro shifted back, Akira had no more excuses to keep holding him, and had to let him go. The detective once again leaned back against the wall, wiping his tears away. His cheeks were flushed deeply, and Akira realized he wanted nothing more at the moment than hug this man again and never let him go.

_Damn you, Ann. What have you done to me?_

“You’re… not giving up, are you. You just won’t give up on me, even if I tell you to.”

“I won’t.”

“…okay.” Goro whispered finally, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I feel like I’ll regret it… I always end up like this… but I _will_ trust you. So… so promise me, okay?”

“I promise.” Akira smiled, reaching his hand out. After a moment of stunned silence, the detective took it, and they shook hands, looking at each other – one with his eyes soft and smiling, the other with his own teary and desperate. And then, there was a sharp knock on the door, and they parted as if their hands burnt, staring at the door, before Akira laughed.

“Guess everyone’s here, then.”

“Wait… everyone..?” Goro stared at him in alarm, only to groan when he heard a voice coming from the other side.

“Oi, Goro! Open up, dude, we came with all sorta stuff! We’re gonna party!”

“Akira, are you there? Everything alright?”

“I am, I am! Be right there!” Akira grinned, looking back at the stunned detective. Goro blinked away his surprise and shot him an accusatory look.

“…you gave them _my address_..?”

 

* * *

 

The party turned out to be something quite different. While Ann and Akira took care of preparing drinks for everyone and finding bowls for all the snacks the duo carried in, Goro disappeared into presumably his bedroom, appearing again still in a ponytail, but in jeans this time and fresh, crisp shirt. His eyes, too, looked suspiciously less red than just a moment before. Akira suspected cold wash and some makeup to cover up all evidence he’s been crying.

Goro joined Ryuuji and Mona, who took over his couch and TV, asking loudly whether he had some console to play on and then – when it turned out that he did, indeed, have a barely-used console and some games – proceed to plug it all in while Akira and Ann carried all the food in.

There was no second controller, but Ryuuji brought his own with him, and by the time they were all sat, he proceeded to destroy Goro at Mario Kart, pulling more and more silent curses from the detective with every turn. Ann took Morgana on her lap to let him see better, and was petting him lightly while cheering on the boys. Akira was happy to just observe; because Goro Akechi, dressed all casual and with the tip of his tongue sticking out in concentration as he played a video game with his friends was truly a sight to behold.

This was – pretty much – how they ended up spending the whole day. Trying out different games – Akira has been utterly humiliated in a Tekken match between himself and Goro, but beat the boy back at Mario Kart again – and eating and drinking all the different sugary drinks Ryuuji and Ann brought. By the end of it, they all felt tired and kind of gross from the sugar overdose, but all of them were smiling; and Goro seemed to smile most of them all.

By the time the party ended, and they all started to tidy things up not to leave the detective with a mess, it was getting slowly dark out. Goro told them again and again that they could just leave it and had to promise at least a dozen times that he will be there on May 5th, ready to really celebrate with everyone. He made the promise, looking Akira in the eye and smiling softly; and the raven couldn’t help but feel warmth spreading over his chest as he heard that.

Akira and Morgana were the last ones to leave; with Goro by the door, thanking everyone again for visiting him and spending time with him. Just as they were leaving, Akira turned to the boy detective one last time; and for a moment, he was greatly tempted to lean in and kiss him goodbye. Instead, he shot Goro his best shit-eating grin and waved.

“See you soon, then, _Gocchan_.”

The detective stared at him, before scowling as he blushed furiously.

“…I’m going to _strangle_ you if you call me _that_ again.” he growled. Akira just laughed.

“Promises, promises…”


	9. We Are The Phantom Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves - all of them - are about to celebrate their victory against Kamoshida and decide about the possible future of their group.

“Cheers!”

The sound of four glasses clinking lightly resounded over their table, soon followed by laughs and chatter. The hotel buffet was just as over-the-top as Akira remembered, and the food was just as good; still, the company was better than that. Especially since instead of just him, Ryuuji, Ann and Morgana there was also Goro; sat right there beside him and raising his glass with the rest of them.

After the surprise party they threw him the other day, the boy detective started to talk with all of them once more. He apologized; time and time again, until they finally told him to shut up about it already; and promised that next time he was feeling anxious, he’ll talk with them about it instead of bottling it up. They still had a lot to talk about, the way Akira saw it, but Goro feeling accepted in their group was a big, important step.

Soon, Ryuuji and Ann disappeared to run for food, telling him, Morgana and Goro to stay and watch their things; and perhaps being alone with the raven was what the detective was waiting for, since he started to talk as soon as the duo ran off.

“…I haven’t thanked you properly yet, Akira.” Goro murmured, and the raven turned to look at him with a little, fond smile.

“You don’t need to. If anything, I should probably apologize for basically forcing my way into your house…”

“Well…” Goro laughed quietly, shaking his head. “You know, even just few days ago I’d tell you that was uncalled for, and I’d probably get pretty angry. But…” he looked back, watching Ryuuji stack everything meat on his plate just few tables away from them.

“I suppose I needed it. And with all of you there, it… helped me feel like I belonged. See, I couldn’t let myself believe I was being accepted somewhere at long last. It made me act irrationally, and I feel embarrassed about it.”

“Hey, everyone needs a nudge once in a while. Look, I understand. We just made friends, and all of a sudden more people started to arrive, and people from my school that I could see much more often. It’s pretty natural to feel anxious, and worry about being passed over; if you brought in someone from your school next, I’d probably feel the same way.”

“…really? That’s a little hard to believe. You’d just make friends with them, as easily as with everyone else.”

“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t feel jealous, you know.” Akira smiled, nudging Goro’s arm gently. “You should believe in yourself more. I mean… you were worried you didn’t fit in with us, right..? But the way I see it, we’re all a band of outcasts, and we need to have each other’s backs.”

“…a band, huh. Well, I won’t deny I _am_ an outcast of sorts myself… Do you… really think I fit in?”

 _“_ Well, not if you keep asking that you don’t.” Akira laughed. “And, uh… about last time, no need to feel embarrassed. I totally don’t remember what happened. Not a thing.”

Goro snorted at that, looking away.

“You’re a terrible man, Akira. You keep making people cry.”

“ _Damn_ , that sounds wrong. Especially since it seems to be the truth. Still, I kind of called you in the middle of the night sobbing because I got scared of a nightmare, so I think we’re even embarrassment-wise.”

“Oh… true. I forgot about that.”

“What? Then why am I reminding you!?” Akira let out a dramatic gasp, and Goro was still laughing quietly by the time Ann and Ryuuji came back with their stacks of food and they, at last, were free to go, keeping together and chuckling to themselves at Morgana commandeering them on what to get.

“That reminds me; don’t you have favourite foods, Goro?” Akira hummed as they stacked rice up on their plates, discreetly listening in on the talk about Kamoshida and the Phantom Thieves that could be heard throughout the buffet.

“I really don’t. I prefer mild flavours to spicy ones, and I do enjoy sweets… but that is pretty much it. I know, strange hearing it from the guy who runs a foodie blog and stuff. Truth is, food is hardly more than a conversation topic for me.” the detective shrugged as they moved to the fish stand. “Although I do enjoy high-quality food like in this buffet. Let’s eat a lot.”

“Yep, let’s.” Akira agreed with a grin, chuckling as Morgana got more and more excited in his bag; to the point where the raven got worried someone will hear all the meowing and throw them out.

They came back once their plates were full, and for a long few moments afterwards, there was hardly a word spoken in between them other than general gushing about the – admittedly, impressive – quality of the food. Goro found a dessert he particularly liked, and ended up elbowing Akira when the raven stole his last bite, before running off to get some seconds while Akira himself was wheezing over the table from laughing too hard. They ate a lot; so much that by the end of it, all five of them looked like they were just done with an exhausting trip to the Metaverse, sprawled over their seats and trying not to move too much.

“T-that was awesome…” Ryuuji mumbled, before taking in a careful breath. “Shit… I don’t want to think about food… ever again…”

“My belt feels multiple sizes too small about now.” Akira groaned, and Goro let out a weak laugh. Morgana let out a pitiful meow from his place between them.

“Shit… I need to go to the bathroom…”

“Ngh, me too… someone carry me gently…”

“I’ll… tag along.” Goro groaned, standing up with the two of them, as Akira carefully picked Morgana up, trying to calm himself as they walked away from their table.

Akira thought long and hard about what he knew was about to happen, and soon. Even before they agreed to go to this buffet, he thought of whom they were apparently destined to meet there; and countless thoughts and ideas plagued his mind ever since. They could arrange for a different day, or different hour. They could go to the bathroom on a different floor than before. He could insist Goro stays with Ann.

But all of these ideas run into the same problem; and that was, that him and Ryuuji had to encounter Shido by the elevator, just as Ann had to have a run-in with an impolite woman at the buffet. Their experience there, however small, was what truly pushed them into continuing as the Phantom Thieves; and Akira did not dare try and change it.

Granted, he would have preferred if Goro stayed with Ann by the buffet. The raven shuddered to think of what might be the consequences of him running into Shido and getting recognized. Still, what was he supposed to say? _Go to a different bathroom than me and Ryuuji? Hold it in?_ He had to _do_ something, but what?

The bathroom was being cleaned, just like before, and they opted to run to one on a different floor as per Ryuuji’s insistence. Akira went into a stall with Morgana and sighed, holding the cat over the toilet bowl and vaguely thinking that there were some parts of his previous adventure he simply did not care to go through twice. Once they were all done and washed up and arrived to the elevators, it was already too late to think. They heard the voice first; and just as he expected, the detective froze, his face growing pale and his eyes darting all over the place, as if he was looking for an escape route where there was none. Akira wasn’t thinking anymore; he grabbed Goro’s arm and pulled him behind himself, making the detective yelp quietly in surprise before he obediently squeezed himself between Akira’s back and the wall while Ryuuji marched forward, pulling all of the attention to himself as he yelled at the adults for cutting the line. Shido barely spared a look at him; and much less at Akira and Goro; and thankfully, the elevator door closed the moment afterwards, making Akira breathe out in relief and move away. Perhaps he was a bit too sudden with that, because the next moment he saw Goro stumble over, and was just in time to catch him before he fell, feeling the softest of trembles as he helped him catch his balance.

“…what the fuck!” Ryuuji was growling away, seemingly oblivious to what just happened. Goro still seemed somewhat shaken, but calmed down enough to stand by himself once more and self-consciously smooth down his clothes as he looked around them.

“What… floor do you think they went on..?” he mumbled, and Ryuuji rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging in annoyance.

“Who the hell cares, man? C’mon, let’s call another elevator…”

They did, and by the time they arrived back to their table, Goro calmed down enough to start looking at Akira strangely. The raven didn’t blame him; and wondered, briefly, just what was he supposed to conjure up as his alibi for later, when Goro will get down to interrogating him about what happened by the elevators. Thankfully, for now, he has been spared the questioning.

“What took you so long?” Ann mumbled at them angrily, making all four of the boys do a double take.

“Why are you all pissy?”

“Sorry…” the girl sighed and looked away. “I had a run-in with some woman a second ago. She bumped into me, but then said it was all my fault when she dropped her plate…”

“Sounds like a real bitch.”

“Yeah… Thanks, though.” Ann smiled at them sadly. “But… the restaurant workers all looked at me with this disapproving expression… I wonder if we’re out of place here.”

“Don’t worry about them.” Goro said, sitting down and smiling back at her lightly, his previous nervousness momentarily forgotten. “And what’s wrong with us being here? It’s not like this buffet has an age limit…”

“Yeah… But that’s not the point here, is it?”

“Yes, I suppose.” the detective sighed, shaking his head. “…it always feels like this, doesn’t it..?”

“It’s probably better for you… with you being famous detective and all.” Ryuuji mumbled, and Goro shook his head with a bitter expression.

“It would have been nice if this was the truth. You see, I was always extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image… I made absolutely certain they were as flawless as possible, just so that someone would want me around. So that people would treat me as more than just a weak child. But no matter what I do, that’s not enough. The adults either don’t even notice me or only want to use me…”

The familiarity of the words made a shudder run down Akira’s spine. He remembered them; and remembered the situation they were first spoken in, in a voice so much different than the soft, sad tone Goro took now. All of a sudden, he felt sick, almost overwhelmed by the memories. At least no one expected him to talk right now…

“Huh… I guess we’re not so different after all, then.” Ryuuji hummed, leaning his chin on his hand.

 “I said that before, but… we’re quite the band of outcasts, aren’t we?” Akira murmured quietly, and Ryuuji sighed.

“…hey, Morgana?”

“What is it?” the cat hummed, sticking his head out of the bag.

“Anyone can have a Palace, yeah?”

“Anyone with a strong, distorted desire.” Morgana confirmed, and Goro looked at the blond sharply. Akira couldn’t help but smile. Look at him, already figuring out what this was about. The detective really was smart, wasn’t he…?

“Same for them havin’ a change of heart if their Treasure gets stolen?”

“That would be the case.”

“Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?” Ann asked, tilting her head. Akira felt Goro sigh, and saw him lean back on the couch.

“…you want to continue what we started, huh.”

“Well… don’t you? I mean, look at what just happened by that elevator, with these selfish shitheads who just looked down on everyone else… I was just wonderin’ if we’d be able to change those kindsa people too.”

“We can’t change the world by ourselves, Ryuuji.” Goro frowned at the blond.

“And why the hell not?” Ryuuji shot back, making Akira smile and Goro blink at him in surprise. “I mean… I don’t say we gotta go out there and deal with every single one shitty adult… but think about it. These guys who had no other choice but to deal with Kamoshida’s bullshit are thanking us now… Imagine if we changed the heart of some real bigshots. If the Phantom Thieves got famous… if people believed in us… imagine how many more people we could help!”

“So… you’re saying that if we continue this… this _vigilante_ justice, it’ll make people get better just because they believe we’ll get them if they won’t..?”

“Well… sorta like that?”

Goro shook his head, continuing to frown.

“That is hardly justice.”

“What the hell don’t you like about getting some shitheads to apologize, man?”

“Well…” the detective hesitated, looking at Akira briefly before sighing, shaking his head. “I’m not saying that changing the heart of a criminal and making them confess their crimes and atone for them is a bad thing. I can agree that this is justice, and in cases like Kamoshida, this was the only way to stop him. But… isn’t changing someone’s heart, no matter the reason, ultimately the morally wrong thing to do, even so? Aren’t we just as bad as the criminals if we keep doing that? Again, with Kamoshida, I could easily explain that as self-preservation, self-defence even. But if we start thrusting our own justice onto people who never directly hurt us… isn’t it wrong?”

 “…I get what you’re saying, Goro-kun…” Ann murmured, before frowning. “But… isn’t it something that’s… kind of necessary? I mean… With Kamoshida, everyone – the teachers, the students, even our parents were covering for him. He could do as he pleased because we allowed him to. There was no one we could turn to, no one who would help… If we live in a society that allows for such things to happen… is it really wrong to try and take care of people like Kamoshida? And give people like us; people with no one to turn to; courage?”

“…courage?” Goro blinked, looking at the girl in surprise.

“That’s what you all gave to me… what Akira gave me.” Ann said quietly. “Back then, I was nothing more than a toy in Kamoshida’s hands. But… you showed me that I could fight, that I could change it, if I really tried. This… more than being famous, more than punishing the bad guys… is what I’d really like to do. If we ignore people who are in trouble, it’ll just all get back to how it used to be.”

“Lady Ann…” Morgana murmured, before shaking his head. “Listen. I wasn’t planning on letting it be just a one-time fling from the start. You’re all under my tutelage, and there’s nothing we can’t accomplish as phantom thieves!”

“Akira… what do you think?” Goro turned to him, and so did the rest of them. The raven took a deep breath, meeting the detective’s eyes.

“…I never thought of the possibility before… but I want to help people. And I want to do this together with all of you. Because… you’re right, Goro. We can’t change the world by ourselves. But if we’re together, then maybe that’s possible. We were given these powers; I’d like to think we were given them for a reason. So instead of wasting them, let’s use them for the right cause.”

The detective looked at all of them wonderingly.

“… _helping people_ … huh.” he murmured, before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he had the set look on his face that told Akira Goro had finally decided; and that his decision was a final one.

“Before I met you all, all I had was Loki; a power of chaos I couldn’t control. But the moment we went into Kamoshida’s Palace… I was given Robin Hood. The very vigilante figure that helped the poor and the weak and protected them from the strong and the rich. I think that even if I asked for a hint, I couldn’t have gotten a clearer one. I want to help people from now on, too; with Robin Hood, and all of you by my side.”

Akira couldn’t help himself; the broad grin that spread over his face threatened to hurt his lips, and yet he really couldn’t stop it. This sentence, and the finality with which it was spoken made him feel, for the first time since the beginning of this game, that he was doing well. That there was still a way to help Goro, to pull him from under Shido’s influence. Because the detective was already truly one of them; and he was right. Instead of Loki, he was their Robin Hood. And if only he could continue on this path, Akira knew they will prevail; and that this time, there will be no ruin waiting for either of them. If they face the world together, nothing could stop them.

“Heh…” Morgana looked around the table at their determined faces. “Even if you guys are still just fledglings, this means we’re an actual organization now.”

“Fledglings..? Haha, that’s actually pretty fitting for us.”

“Speak for yourself. I do believe I’m your senpai here, together with Morgana.” Goro laughed, and Ann grinned back at him.

“All right, it’s settled! We’re gonna catch all these shitty adults by surprise, and make ourselves known to the world!”

“I won’t let us go against the objective justice of it all, though. I hope you’re all alright with that.”

“No objections here.” Ann grinned. “It’ll be reassuring to have an actual detective make sure we never go too far. Now what remains is… we’ll need a leader.”

She looked at Akira; and the raven could feel Goro’s and Ryuuji’s eyes on himself, too. Indeed, it was the detective who spoke next, with a soft smile.

“I believe we already have one. He’s sitting right next to me.”

Despite himself, Akira felt his cheeks flush lightly. Ryuuji whooped, and Ann’s smile was just as soft as Goro’s when she leaned in.

“Are you okay with that, Akira?”

“…why me, though?”

“You’re the one whose orders none of us mind following would be my reason for it.” Goro said quietly.

“I can’t handle all that responsibility stuff, so no objections from me.”

“It’s decided, then!” Ann clapped, and Akira rubbed the back of his head as he smiled at all of them.

“Alright, so who’s gonna be our next target?”

“Hm… there’s tons of people in need of some heart-changing… why don’t we stick to targeting big names?”

“Like what, a CEO?”

“I suppose we will get to more people if we target someone famous.” Goro nodded thoughtfully. “Not a bad idea, Ryuuji.”

“Heh, thanks, man.”

“I don’t really like the idea of picking someone out of the blue though.” Ann hummed thoughtfully, rubbing her chin as she looked at them.

“Let’s narrow it down to someone we can all agree on, then.”

“So someone famous we can all agree unanimously on… I like the unanimous part. This will ensure we don’t lose sight of what our goal is, no matter what.” Goro nodded, and they all smiled at each other excitedly. Akira picked up his coffee cup and raised it in a silent toast.

“To the formation of our organization, then. From here on out… We are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts!”

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** Concerning our next target

 **Crow:** Any ideas?

 **Joker:** Not failing our exams before we get a chance to find one?

 **Crow:** Good point, that.

 **Skull:** You’re both nerds.

 **Panther:** So that means you’re going to fail?

 **Skull:** Jeez, I’m not. I’ll have you know I’ve been studying.

 **Panther:** Pics or it didn’t happen

 **Joker:** Actually we studied together yesterday, Panther

 **Crow:** And we just finished a study session today. I can vouch for the fact Ryuuji has been studying quite diligently under my tutelage

 **Skull:** that was the scariest study meeting of my life this guy is scary af

 **Crow:** I’ll take that as a compliment

 **Panther:** What? Why didn’t you call me over then?

 **Joker:** We went for your shoot today?

 **Panther:** yeah I know that but yesterday

 **Crow:** I think it might have been because we were out for crepes at the time, Ann

 **Panther:** Oh, true. How’s the blog entry?

 **Crow:** Coming along, though are you sure you’re fine with me putting up our selfie there? You might get hate if I know internet

 **Joker:** Yeah Panther, his crazy fangirls might go after you

 **Skull:** How come you guys go out for crepes and shopping while I need to study?!

 **Crow:** Well if you studied before your exams, you’d have time for crepes now

 **Crow:** Besides, I needed to update my blog, and Ann offered to help

 **Crow:** I had no idea there were so many places in Shibuya you could buy crepes at

 **Joker:** A whole new world opened for you, my friend

 **Panther:** Anyway, back to the main topic

 **Panther:** Let’s look for our next target once the exams end, yeah?

 **Crow:** I might have an idea about it

 **Joker:** Oh? As expected from our resident detective!

 **Crow:** Remember that Shadow we fought in Mementos? Nakanohara?

 **Crow:** He said something about Madarame, right?

 **Crow:** Apparently Madarame is an artist with some nasty rumours circling around him.

 **Crow:** I didn’t do much digging yet, but the thing that makes itself apparent right from the start is that he seems to have suspiciously wide repertoire

 **Crow:** As in, he paints in almost all the styles possible

 **Skull:** That doesn’t have to mean anything though?

 **Crow:** It doesn’t have to, but it is suspicious

 **Joker:** You suspect he plagiarizes?

 **Crow:** If he does, it’s on a very large scale. Might be a huge scandal if we pursue it.

 **Panther:** Let’s dig into it more once we’re done with exams, then.

 **Skull:** …right.

 **Joker:** Sounds good.

 **Crow:** Good luck tomorrow, everyone!


	10. Sunset Over the Eastern Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves meet an eccentric artist and investigate the famous artist, Madarame.

It was honestly amazing, how much having Goro on their team changed their everyday life.

Ever since he stopped feeling anxious and truly felt himself a part of the group, it came to light just how starved for friendship and everyday contact with his peers the boy detective was. He was the one who’d message everyone right after their exams, asking how they did, and even giving them tips on how to relax in between them. He himself seemed to be working thrice as hard as everyone else, and though he had a holiday from work for the duration of their exams, he kept them updated on possible rumours and information about Madarame on whom he was apparently doing personal investigation in his spare time. In the evenings, in between the tests, Akira would come home to see the familiar bike parked outside Leblanc, and Goro smiling at him lightly from his place by the counter, and they’d revise their test answers or just talk and relax before the next one together. Every time they met alone, Akira expected to be questioned about the time at the buffet; perhaps even asked, straight up, if he knew who Shido was, and his relation to Goro. And yet, Goro kept silent, and Akira did not bring up the topic itself, enjoying the calm of their meetings instead.

Like that, their exams passed in a blink of an eye; and before Akira knew it, it was the last day, and he actually got surprised when Ann mentioned something about feeling as if she was being followed.

Was it… really today they were supposed to meet Yusuke..?

Goro was waiting for them at the station, and Akira briefed him quickly on the situation as they rode up the escalator.

“A stalker..? Well, Ann definitely has the looks to attract someone like that…”

“Now’s not the time for compliments, Crow!” the girl scoffed at him, and he chuckled quietly.

“I apologize. So… can you see him now?”

“Y-yes… he got off on the same station! Isn’t that bad?”

“Let us find out what is it that he wants from you, then.” Goro smiled again and looked up, before nodding to Ryuuji as the two of them started to climb the stairs. “Come on. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

It did feel a little bit funny, cornering Yusuke with the three of them now instead of just two; and also quite amusing to see Goro – the slimmest and least threatening-looking of them all – trying his best to look scary. Still, it seemed to have had the desired effect, and just as last time, Madarame pulled over right away and Goro’s sharp eyes moved between Yusuke and the older man, before he immediately slipped into his detective prince persona, polite smile and all.

Akira had to stop himself from grinning. Not only did he get to see Yusuke – the same eccentric, ridiculous Yusuke he missed so much already and looked forward to befriending again so much – but he also got treated to seeing Goro at work, trying to take advantage of the unforeseen situation in his never-ending quest to find them a new target.

Yusuke made his proposition and gave them the tickets – four tickets, as Akira was pleased to notice – and drove off. The raven let out a long sigh. One last exam today, huh… and then, on to the next Palace. Was he wrong, for wishing the break from being the Phantom Thieves to last a little bit longer..?

“That guy’s as easy to read as a book…” Ryuuji shook his head, watching after the car. “You’re not planning on going, are you?”

“…I think I will.” Ann murmured, and before Morgana could start to meow his objections, Goro nodded solemnly.

“I think all of us should go.”

“H-huh?” Ann blinked at him, and he tilted his head, frowning, as if he was surprised she didn’t follow the same way of thinking he did.

“You’re just itching to investigate Madarame, aren’t you.” Akira laughed, and Goro smiled back at him.

“Well, isn’t this just the prime opportunity? _And_ we even got free tickets…”

“Guys, we can talk about this later. Exam, much? Look at the time, we’re gonna be late!”

“Alright, good luck everyone! Let’s meet afterwards, and talk more about the exhibit!”

 

* * *

 

They agreed to go – all of them, even though Ryuuji was definitely not in favour of _that_. Still, Akira had to say he was quite excited – and for more than one reason. Going to that exhibit would bring them one step closer to helping Yusuke, and bringing him into their little band of misfits, yes; but it will also be a chance for all of them to truly work together as a team, and, well, lastly…

Akira couldn’t say he would mind it terribly, going to an art exhibit with Goro. Now that he thought of it, he never really asked whether the detective enjoyed fine arts. If you took out the investigation, Ryuuji by their side and Morgana in their bag, it was… kinda sorta almost like a date… right?

“…what are _you_ laughing to yourself about?” the cat jumped onto his bed and curled up beside him as Akira continued to chuckle at his own thoughts.

“Nothing… just, Ann was right, wasn’t she? Even just saying _we’re going to an art exhibition_ sounds kinda mature, doesn’t it?” he hummed, chiefly to get Morgana off of himself. Not that his friend would be this easily fooled.

“I guess… let’s just hope that Yusuke won’t try to pull anything on Lady Ann. If he does, I’ll claw his face off!” the cat huffed, only to look up at him with a sly gaze.

“But that’s not all you’ve been laughing about, hm..? I know that look.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on. I know a lovestruck guy when I see one!”

“You’re such a cute cat, Morgana.” Akira smiled sweetly, petting the creature’s head rather roughly, making him squeal and jump away.

“I’m not a cat! And you’re dodging the question.”

“I didn’t hear a question.” Akira gave Morgana his best psychotic Joker grin, and the cat relented finally, groaning as he jumped back onto the bed and curled up in his usual spot.

“ _Fine_ , change the subject all you want. I know perfectly well already that you have your eyes on our…”

“I _wonder_ how would Ann react knowing you keep trying to walk beside her to take a peak up her skirt…”

“Wh—wha— _that is not true!_ I… I am a gentleman! And besides, you wouldn’t _dare_..! Oi, Joker! No sleeping on me! You won’t tell something like that to her, right?! Right..?!”

 

* * *

 

“You’re late, Akira.”

Ryuuji and Goro were waiting by the entrance of the exhibit already by the time Akira showed up with a very pouty Morgana sticking his head out of his bag. The raven waved at them and smiled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Sorry, sorry, got a little caught up talking with Morgana in the morning and didn’t catch the early train. Where’s Ann?”

“That Yusuke guy appeared and snatched her to show her the exhibit and talk about that modelling job he had for her.” Ryuuji shrugged, trying to stifle a yawn with his hand while Morgana meowed in alarm at the news. “Say, do we _need to_ go in? It looks kinda boring…”

“We need to investigate, don’t we? Now that we’re all here and Ann is getting information from the pupil, we need to find the teacher…”

“Dude, she’s not getting info. Trust me.”

“Why wouldn’t she..?”

“Not all of us are investigation-oriented detectives, Goro.” Akira laughed, before leaning a bit to the side. Alright, he could do this. He definitely could. “Why won’t we focus on the investigation… _and_ try to enjoy the exhibit together? I mean, it’d be a waste of tickets if we didn’t, right..?”

The detective blinked at him in confusion, and Akira was positive he heard Morgana snort before Goro smiled somewhat hesitantly and nodded, and a huge weight dropped from the raven’s heart. Well, alright, so it didn’t mean anything, so what..? Couldn’t he feel ridiculously happy there, just for a little bit? That way, this was definitely a date… even if, uh… platonic one. Right?

“Alright, so, uh… where do we start?”

As it turned out, Goro knew quite a bit about fine arts. It was fresh interest, he explained; one that he picked up while investigating Madarame; and it lacked the passion he had for things that truly interested him, but the trip around the exhibit still felt a lot nicer with Goro there than without him. Even Ryuuji got interested – well, from time to time – when the detective explained to them why this particular painting was special, or what was that one supposed to represent. They stopped by one of the paintings; Akira realized it was one he didn’t manage to see on his previous trip here, only with Ryuuji and Morgana. And yet, it was this one that made Goro’s eyes soften when he looked at it. Akira understood why. By itself, the painting was nothing special; it depicted a sunset over the sea, with a solitary boat on the flat surface of the water; but perhaps the colours or the style itself made the feeling of warmth and affection resonate within them. It felt… _peaceful_. It was this kind of landscape Akira could imagine himself and Goro admiring; perhaps seated on the beach, hand in hand, in the warm, summer sun. Sometime in the future; when they, their friends and the world will be safe… perhaps it wasn’t a dream that couldn’t be fulfilled.

“…I actually wanted to see this one.” Goro murmured, before looking at Akira with curious expression on his face; one that the raven wasn’t entirely sure he knew how to read. Ryuuji sighed, and they snapped out of it, both of them looking away without really knowing why.

“…I think that’s enough refinement for one day, no..? Let’s find Madarame for now.”

 

* * *

 

They did; and just like Akira remembered, they soon got crushed in the crowd of fans before they could hear anything suspicious, other than one more comment at Madarame’s _suspicious_ repertoire. Goro looked extremely dissatisfied; and then somewhat annoyed when it was Ryuuji who found another clue, in the form of the post on the Phan-Site. One hasty meeting later, and they all agreed to meet up again tomorrow and investigate the _shack_ in question.

Even though he remembered going there already in the other future, Akira didn’t need to feign his shock at the state Madarame’s house was in. It was so easy to forget how run down this place was; and yet, the events that followed quickly assured him this was nothing new. Yusuke once again came out to greet them; gleeful at first, then resentful when he heard why were they there, even if with Goro there leading the conversation, it came off somewhat less aggressive on their end. Akira mostly watched from the side, letting the conversation flow; and wondering, even now, what was going through the other boy’s head. Was Yusuke hurting back then..? Did it pain him to hear, clearly, that which he knew was true? Why did he reject their help so readily, even as it was offered to him? Granted, back then he couldn’t have known they _could_ help. That they were the Phantom Thieves capable of changing hearts Yusuke will find out only later, and through a rather violent shock therapy at that. For now, he was just a teenager who didn’t want to face the ugly truth about the one who – in everything but blood – was a father to him…

“…let’s check the Meta-Nav.” Akira proposed, right after they walked away from the door and formed a rather dissatisfied circle, looking at one another wonderingly. Goro was the one who perked up at the idea first, and pulled out his phone. Unbidden, the memory from another future – of Futaba snatching it away, and the detective’s shocked expression – came to Akira’s mind, and he smiled softly as he remembered the girl. Right now, Futaba would still be a shut-in… was she already listening in on them, reading their chats..? He wondered…

“Madarame… alright, that’s a hit!” the detective said in quite an excited voice, the rest of them gathering around him as they looked at the Nav. “The keywords are _Madarame, plagiarism_ and _shack_ … now for the distortion. Any ideas..?”

They shot their best guesses at the Nav, and just as Akira remembered, they were nowhere close the match. He watched Goro think, brows furrowed and cogs turning in his head before he brightened up. It seemed Akira made a good move stopping himself from saying it; the detective needed a little victory at last.

“I think I got it… an art gallery…” Goro frowned when that wasn’t a hit, either, before shaking his head. “If not that, then… a museum.”

The Nav reacted at last, and Akira only managed to catch Goro’s self-satisfied, little grin before they slipped into the Metaverse; and his attention has been, once again, pulled into another world, rather than the real one.

 

* * *

 

Half of Akira wanted to press on, to get through the Palace until they reached the unopenable door, and thus save themselves a lot of time – but it was Goro stopping them this time, and once more the raven got reminded just why was the detective the one with Justice arcana. It was the truth that they did not have any solid evidence; and it was the truth that with no other pupils now, it should be Yusuke’s call whether they go in or not. Still, it felt almost like a waste to leave the Palace so soon…

Still, they did cover a lot more ground than on their first few trips to Kamoshida’s, and that was a plus. With the map, the unnerving paintings and that abomination of a sculpture, they had enough to go on for now, even as Goro insisted they leave and regroup before coming back in.

It was a long trip to Leblanc this time, with Morgana once again asleep in his bag; and Akira had to say he was pleasantly surprised when he noticed messages from the detective the moment he got into Leblanc and dressed into his pyjamas.

 

 **Crow:** Are you asleep?

 **Joker:** Nope, just got in bed

 **Joker:** What’s up?

 **Crow:** …you weren’t happy

 **Crow:** That I made us leave, I mean

 **Joker:** Hey, that’s not it

 **Joker:** I was itching to explore some more is all

 **Joker:** We always get so exhausted after Metaverse trip, it just seemed like such a waste to go back, y’know?

 **Joker:** But you were right, we need to get Yusuke’s opinion on the matter

 **Crow:** The truth is, I feel the same

 **Crow:** I’d have gladly kept exploring

 **Joker:** Why did you want us to stop then?

 **Crow:** Well, partially for the reasons I listed back then

 **Crow:** We don’t have proof of a crime… tangible proof at least

 **Crow:** But more than that…

 **Crow:** If Madarame is truly plagiarising and abusing his pupils

 **Crow:** Don’t you think the one who is almost like a son to him had to be abused and taken advantage of the most..?

 **Crow:** More than wondering about justice, I found myself wishing we gave that guy a chance for revenge…

 **Joker:** You’re really passionate, aren’t you, Crow?

 **Joker:** That’s admirable

 **Joker:** You taking Yusuke’s feelings into consideration like that

 **Joker:** I’m kind of ashamed I didn’t think about it this way

 **Crow:** Admirable, huh…

 **Crow:** I wonder about that.

 **Crow:** Anyway, we should sleep

 **Joker:** Sure, Morgana

 **Crow:** Idiot

 **Joker:** hey, you’re the one who named me Joker, what the heck were you expecting

 **Crow:** You’re right, I definitely pulled this onto myself.

 **Crow:** We’ll call you by a different card name from now on.

 **Joker:** I’ll agree for King, if that means you’ll be bowing to me

 **Crow:** Go to sleep before I call you an ass, Joker

 **Joker:** You already did. Countless times. And I’m no less hilarious.

 **Joker:** Goodnight, Crow.

 **Joker:** Sweet dreams ^^

 **Crow:** Goodnight

 **Crow:** Akira?

 **Joker:** Sorry can’t read you, already asleep

 **Crow:** Ha. ha. ha.

 **Crow:** What do you think about this guy?

 **Joker:** Madarame..?

 **Crow:** No, Kitagawa Yusuke.

 **Joker:** …he seems like a good guy. I really want to help him. Why?

 **Crow:** no reason in particular. I was just curious.

 **Crow:** Seriously this time.

 **Crow:** Goodnight.

 **Joker:** Mhm. See you tomorrow, Crow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The painting I based the one they saw at Madarame's exhibit is "Sunrise over the eastern sea" by Fujishima Takeji, and can be viewed [here](https://d2jv9003bew7ag.cloudfront.net/uploads/Fujishima-Takeji-Sunrise-over-the-Eastern-Sea-detail.jpg)!


	11. Deserving of Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves continue to investigate Madarame, and Goro has some doubts concerning his path in life.

Not for the first time since the beginning of his second run, Akira wished he could make use of all his knowledge and experience from the first one, if just to speed things up a bit. Granted, assuming he did – and assuming everything worked out well – the way it affected the future was impossible to gauge, and as such, way too risky. No matter how tiring this all was, he had to stick to how things went the first time, until they arrived at an emergency that _required_ intervention.

Not that it made the constant to-and-fro they had to go through now any less grating.

In order to confront the young artist again, Ann managed to get Yusuke to agree for her to come and model for him the next day – and only next day, which was unfortunate, since Goro had an interview he couldn’t skip. He was extremely annoyed by that, even just through text; and Akira had to promise he’ll be sending him updates every five minutes before the detective stopped virtually pouting at him. The raven didn’t really mind; if only because that promise resulted in hilarity.

 

 **Joker:** -hacker voice- we’re in

 **Joker:** He made Ann pose and us sit quietly by the wall

 **Joker:** Yusuke’s drawing

 **Joker:** He’s still drawing

 **Joker:** He’s still drawing

 **Joker:** He’s still drawing

 **Joker:** He… picked a different pencil, but he’s still drawing

 **Joker:** Aaaaand he’s drawing

 **Crow:** I’m going to murder you one of these days, can you treat this seriously?!

 **Joker:** But that’s all he does! No contact whatsoever!

 **Joker:** Mona went to wander around the house for a bit, he’s so bored

 **Joker:** Maybe he’ll find something

 **Crow:** Well, I should be done with the interview in some hour or so

 **Crow:** We’re meeting in Shibuya after this?

 **Joker:** mhm

 **Joker:** He’s still drawing

 **Crow:** Shut up!

 

* * *

 

Goro pinched the bridge of his nose. Standing in front of the four of them looking all embarrassed and not meeting his eyes, he almost looked like a parent about to scold them… and that impression was not entirely wrong.

“…can you explain to me _how_ , the moment I leave you four alone, you almost get yourself arrested and make Ann pose for a nude painting, you morons?!”

“I’m not posing nude!”

“Well, tell that to these three idiots! They’re the ones you have to blame for this!”

Goro took in a deep breath, before scowling up at them. In all honesty, Akira had a hard time not bursting out laughing. The situation didn’t seem at all serious to him – after all, he knew perfectly well they will steal Madarame’s heart soon; and that Yusuke will join and revoke his blackmail proposal in just few more days. He wasn’t in any hurry, and he didn’t feel threatened… but then again, the rest of them probably did. After all, expulsion from school on uncertain basis was nothing compared to being reported to the police for unlawful entry.

Finally, the detective sighed and shook his head.

“…alright. Let’s just regroup for today. I’ll think of something to get us out of this mess.” he sighed.

“Uh… how ‘bout stealing Madarame’s heart and being done with it..?”

“You’ve told me what Kitagawa-kun had said… I’m sorry, but if this is how he really feels…”

“Yeah…” Ann sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. “Is it really okay for us to do this without Kitagawa-kun’s approval..?”

“So you’re fine with baring it all..?”

“I’m not!”

“Look, everyone… let’s just go home for today. Tomorrow, we’ll meet up and discuss this further. Try not getting yourself put in jail on your way home, please.” Goro shot them all an annoyed look before shaking his head once more. “Either way, we have a hard deadline now. It shouldn’t be _too_ hard to solve this in the allotted time.”

With sour faces and dark moods, Ryuuji and Ann gathered their bags and walked away, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Akira looked out the big window behind them, petting Morgana’s head with an absent-minded expression on his face. He smiled when he felt Goro lean against the railing beside him and turned to the still-annoyed detective, gently nudging his side.

“Stop worrying.”

“I’ll stop worrying when you stop almost getting yourself arrested with your probation still hanging over you.” Goro grumbled back, and Akira’s eyes softened. Ah, so this was why he was being cranky whole evening.

“…hey. I have it all under control.”

“You’re way too laid back to have anything under control, Akira! If that guy made his call… you know what getting arrested on probation means for you, right? I have some leverage with the police, but not enough to get you out of trouble like that!”

“Goro, seriously, you’re worrying too much.”

“You’re not worrying enough!”

“That’s not true.” Akira leaned down, catching the detective’s eyes. Goro sighed and looked away from him, only to scowl up again when Akira kept nudging him with his elbow and smiling at him softly.

“ _Stop that_.”

“I won’t. I’m happy.” The raven murmured, and Goro looked up at him; this time with some sort of disbelieving surprise.

“…why? Do I even want to know?”

“Because you’re worried about me.” Akira grinned simply, watching as the detective blushed and looked away, just as he predicted he might. How cute… really, how damn cute. This was just not fair, how cute he was. “Okay, look. We’ll work it out. No one reported anyone, and we’ll steal Madarame’s heart way before the deadline comes.”

“So you’re set on doing that..?”

“That’s…” Akira blinked, looking away. Morgana stuck his head from the bag again, watching the two of them talk.

“…we agreed that whatever target we take on, our decision concerning it will be unanimous.”

“I know that.” the raven nodded. Goro sighed, hanging his head down beside him.

“And yet you act as if we’ve already decided. Why is that?”

“…look, you weren’t there. I… I just don’t believe Yusuke means it when he says he doesn’t mind.” Akira said, picking his words carefully. “I mean… for him, we’re just a bunch of kids like him. He doesn’t know we _can_ help him. Why would he ask us for help, or trust us..? Madarame is like a father to him. I just think he’d rather blind himself to the abuse and pretend this doesn’t bother him than face the truth…”

“…like a father, huh.” Goro said quietly. It sounded like it slipped without him meaning it to; like he has been talking to himself. And then, the detective’s crimson eyes turned towards the raven, looking at him in the prodding, questioning fashion Akira has already gotten so accustomed to.

“…what is your father like, Akira?”

“Huh? Why do you ask?”

“It’s just simple curiosity.” Goro smiled lightly, and Akira frowned, before looking away as he complied.

“…he’s alright, I suppose. It’s just he was… never really there. He likes coffee and works approximately twenty five hours a day. After the assault case… well, he never said a word to me. It was my mum who yelled. He just stared from behind her with that disappointed look.” the raven shrugged, suddenly tense. Goro seemed to notice it.

“I apologize for bringing it up.”

“It’s fine. You…”

“I never knew my father.” Goro said too fast, face set into a mask that betrayed no emotion. Akira’s thoughts ran back to their celebration at the hotel buffet; and to Goro tensing up and looking around in fear the moment he heard Shido’s voice. All of a sudden, he felt anger. He knew, of course, what Shido did; how he had left Goro’s mother and caused her suicide. But what else he had done to the boy detective, what else had happened between them that made Goro react with such degree of fear… Akira wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He might end up a murderer one of these days, if he ever finds out.

“…look, coming back to the topic.” Akira shook his head, before sighing as he pulled out his phone. Texts from Mishima will come in the evening; but perhaps that didn’t matter if he knew they will. They needed a topic change here, and he needed some way to get Goro’s mind off… _everything_.

“We have one piece of evidence we still need to check that might just convince us all to go.”

“What do you have in mind?” Goro looked at him intently.

“Nakanohara. Remember him? Mishima… the guy behind the Phan-Site… got contacted by him. He was asking to meet the Phantom Thieves.”

“…please tell me Mishima didn’t tell him our names, or how we look.”

“He didn’t. Nakanohara will be waiting for us by the corner near the juice stand at the underground mall. He won’t ever see us.”

“And you think he’d want to talk…”

“About Madarame, yes.”

Goro seemed to be thinking it over for a few minutes more, before nodding quietly to himself.

“…and after – hopefully – we get the proof we need… you want us to go in right away?” Akira smiled lightly and nodded. Goro chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

“Very well. I’ll keep my schedule tomorrow free, then… _Leader_.”

 

* * *

 

Perhaps it was the fact that in Kamoshida’s Palace, the shadows of people they encountered were people he knew; students he encountered every day; that made it so much harder to infiltrate. Now, with Madarame’s, it was easy not to make the mental strain grow too chaffing. The fact that they didn’t know of any physical abuse or any immediate danger Yusuke could be in helped, too; and so, their infiltration progressed fairly smoothly. Still, the paintings of Madarame’s former pupils were hard to look at, especially when you realized that this was the man who destroyed lives of so many of them.

Was this what hit Yusuke so hard when they ran through this ridiculous gallery of vanity in that other future..? Akira realized he never really thought about it this way. Back then, it was all adrenaline and racing against deadlines while trying to keep his normal high schooler act together; and even when he had time to consider his friends’ feelings, it was during the times they hanged out together, and things different than the strain they went under in the Metaverse took precedence. Now that he thought about it, though, for Yusuke – seeing someone he adored as father change this much, being forced to fight and then face the truth about him again and again had to be almost unbearable… and yet he never said anything about it later. Not even a word…

Just like at the exhibit, Akira found himself ridiculously happy they had Goro with them. It was so much easier to tackle enemies with the five of them there, and the detective got so excited every time his Robin Hood grew stronger or landed a nicely rounded critical hit. A few times, while Akira was negotiating with Shadows, he noticed Goro itching to join in the negotiation; though somehow, he never really went through with it.

Akira had to stop himself from grabbing Morgana by the scruff of his neck when the cat got way too excited about the vase with the Treasure Demon inside; though Goro’s annoyed expression as he looked at him from his personal cage of lasers was perhaps worth the trouble. Soon enough, the detective, Ann and Ryuuji were freed, and Akira would lie if he said he minded being the prince charming coming to the rescue here.

Just a few rooms more, and they finally arrived at another stop; and this time, whether Akira liked it or not, the brightly coloured door were just as impassable in the Metaverse as they were last time he saw them. From here on, it was on Ann and Morgana to work them open; and on himself, Goro and Ryuuji to keep them from closing again. As they emerged from the Metaverse then, tired, but in good spirits, Akira felt himself smile. Tomorrow, he realized as they established their plans and made Ann make necessary arrangements. Tomorrow Yusuke will finally join them…

Akira felt Goro’s eyes on himself, and smiled; though the detective only looked away and sighed as they moved back into the real world and said their goodbyes before walking home.

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** Akira?

 **Crow:** Can I talk with you for a bit?

 **Joker:** …sure. You know it’s late and my cat will murder you for keeping me on my phone though, right?

 **Joker:** oh, and he’s saying he’s not a cat.

 **Crow:** Actually… I’m in front of Leblanc.

 **Joker:** Be right there.

 

The silhouette behind the door was just as familiar as it was worrying; and Akira didn’t waste any time in running down the stairs, barefoot, and opening the door for sullen-looking boy. Goro looked tired; excessively so, with the deep circles under his eyes that weren’t there in the afternoon. Akira felt cold dread wash over him as he saw these eyes bleak and empty, and the detective so tired.

_Another trip to the Metaverse..? But… I don’t remember any incidents… there were some news of psychotic breakdowns still going on, but was it today..?_

But… why? Wasn’t Goro on the path to his rehabilitation? Wasn’t he helping him? As he guided the barely-standing detective to one of the stools and started to prepare him coffee and finally the curry he promised so long ago, Akira felt utterly helpless. Here he went again… and Goro used the Metaverse to fulfil Shido’s orders, and everything was right as it used to be, with no changes for the better…

 _Did he use Loki again?_ , Akira wondered with a hollow, desperate feeling. _Did I fail in keeping the one promise that mattered?_

“What happened?” he asked gently, setting the steaming plate and cup in front of the detective, who blinked at the food, finally emerging from however deep his thoughts carried him to this time. He looked up at Akira; and then looked away, as if embarrassed by his worried expression.

“…I’m sorry… I shouldn’t be paying you another one of my nightly visits.” Goro sighed, shaking his head. “I just… I…”

Akira tilted his head, before realizing what was wrong. Goro couldn’t make up an excuse like the last time. Akira knew he didn’t have work that day.

“Hey… it’s okay. I understand.” he said softly, hoping this will help; hoping this will _work_. No matter what, seeing the detective so tired and so… so _broken_ made Akira want to comfort him and make him feel better, and other people be damned. That part of him; the part his feelings brought on; was seriously starting to scare him…

Goro smiled at him sadly, shaking his head in resignation.

“You don’t, Akira.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I can.” the sad smile was still there, and Akira hated the fact he couldn’t just tell the truth, and convince Goro otherwise. How much he’d love to cup the detective’s cheeks in his hands and tell him he _did_ understand; that he knew everything. And that no matter what, he still wanted Goro as a friend… and as so much more. He just wanted to give the boy the acceptance, true acceptance he so desperately needed for once…

“Goro… come on, eat something. You’ll feel better. You look like shit.”

The detective nodded, and for a little while, there was silence between them. Not an uncomfortable one, either; and as Akira washed the dishes and then sat beside his friend by the counter, it felt just a little less tense between them. The raven leaned his weight against Goro’s side, and he felt the detective relax to accommodate him as he ate slowly, eyes distant, but gradually relaxing.

“…how’s the curry?” Akira murmured, smiling lightly once Goro was almost done. He nodded and smiled gratefully to the side at him.

“It’s great, thank you. You even remembered I prefer mild flavours… and it goes so well with the coffee, too.”

“Mhm, just you watch. One day, I’ll be better than Boss at this stuff.”

“As modest as always, Akira.” Goro chuckled quietly, before sighing as the raven stood up and gathered his plate, moving to wash that up, too. Akira had his back turned when Goro spoke again, and perhaps it was good he did, because the next question broke his heart into pieces.

“Akira..?” Goro’s voice was quiet, hesitant. “Can people change..? Even if someone does despicable, loathsome things… things that make them an objectively evil human being… can they redeem themselves, even so..?”

“Tough case on your mind, detective..?” Akira sighed after a moment of stunned silence, trying to buy himself time to reply. How should he answer to something such as this..?

“It… depends, I guess. There are people, like Kamoshida and Madarame, who won’t ever change by themselves… that’s why we change their hearts for them. But there are people who know that what they do is wrong. These people… I guess, if they stop doing the wrong thing… why not? Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Akira turned, finding Goro there, staring into space again. He bit his lip and leaned against the counter, catching the other’s eyes.

“…you really believe that? The second chance part. Don’t you think there are crimes that are unforgivable..? Murder, for example?”

“That depends, again.” Akira shrugged, leaning his weight on his forearms. “Let’s say you have two men. Both killed a girl; but one did it because he wanted her purse, or because he didn’t like her, or because he was after a thrill… and the other did it because he got threatened into doing it, unwillingly. I’d want to get the first guy in jail… the second, I’d want to help.”

“But that hypothetical guy still killed someone. He could just refuse.”

“Yes. But I’d say a person who kills because they feel like they have no other choice is still able to redeem themselves… a person forcing others to kill, or killing for their own pleasure are just scum.”

“Hm…” The detective hummed, though he did look just a tiny bit better; just a tiny bit less hopeless. Akira allowed himself to breathe again. Damn Shido for making Goro do these things again… did he kill someone this time..? No way, Akira would have remembered it. No, the next person Goro was supposed to kill was Kobayakawa… right..? Or was it Okumura first… shit, he even got _that_ part mixed up..? How did he remember what questions he had on exams and what to study, but couldn’t for the life of himself remember the order of something this important..? He wanted to kick himself. Still, this was not what they were talking about right now. Akira closed his eyes briefly, allowing himself to breathe before opening them again.

“…Goro, do you think I’m a criminal..?”

Well, that earned him some attention. The detective tilted his head at him, blinking in surprise.

“Of course not. You’ve told me what happened that night.”

“Yes. And I told you I pushed a man who got injured in the process. That technically does count as assault.”

“But you were doing it to protect a woman he—!”

Akira smiled and raised his finger, silencing the detective.

“See? Context is everything. That’s why I believe what I said, that everyone deserves a second chance… if they only want to reach out for it.”

After a moment’s silence, Goro smiled lightly, leaning his chin on his hand.

“…I enjoy these conversations with you, Akira. They’re very thought-provoking.”

“Thought-provoking, my ass. You just like listening to me being smart.” Akira grinned, and he was relieved to see Goro chuckle. Still, when he spoke again, the detective looked thoughtful, almost as if he was pondering some great mystery he was yet to solve.  

“ _Everyone deserves a second chance…_ huh. A chance to stop doing the wrong thing and start doing the right one…”

Goro looked down at his hands as they tightened around the cup; and Akira had to fight an impulse to hold them; take these gloves off and kiss them, and make it all better.

“Don’t you think so, too?”

“Maybe… maybe if they regretted it hard enough and wanted to redeem themselves hard enough…”

“See?” Akira smiled, and finally reached his hand, giving Goro’s own a gentle squeeze, trying to fight a blush that was threatening to take over his face. “And now, that we’ve solved _this_ particular mystery… how about we go through our strategy for tomorrow once again? You sure you don’t want to go with Ann and see her wonderful acting abilities in person..?”

Goro laughed quietly; and though he brought the cup to his lips again, his other hand stayed where it was, warm in Akira’s gentle hold.

“With so much depending on Morgana unlocking a door with his paws and Ann’s acting… I’m almost afraid to go into the Metaverse tomorrow. This might just end up the most miraculously successful plan in this century… or the most idiotic failure. Either way, I suppose tomorrow will be interesting, won’t it?”

Akira grinned and without even thinking about it, squeezed Goro’s hand gently again.

“That it will be, Crow. That it definitely will be.”


	12. Fathers and Sons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration of Madarame Palace continues, and new member joins the Phantom Thieves. As they run through the Palace together, Goro starts to see more of himself in the young artist than he initially thought was possible.

There was something unnerving in just _standing_ there, in Madarame’s Palace, out in the open like that and waiting. Akira could see Crow pace impatiently, his russet eyes flickering from behind his mask, darting from side to side as he made sure that they were safe, that no shadow was sneaking up on them. The pacing was grating on Ryuuji’s nerves, he could see, and before the blond boy could say anything, Akira lightly rested his hand on Goro’s shoulder and stopped him, shaking his head. The detective sighed and looked at them with an apologetic expression on his face.

“…I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s really quite nerve-wracking, not knowing what’s happening out there.”

“Yeah… I hear you, man.” Ryuuji sighed as well, rolling his shoulders. “Will it even work..? I know Ann was talking about _seducing him with her acting skills_ , but, dunno…”

“You don’t believe in Ann’s acting skills?” Akira grinned, only for Ryuuji to roll his eyes at him and for Goro to laugh quietly.

“It’s going to be fine. Let’s just wait and believe in the two of them. They got this.” Akira smiled, and Goro sighed as he sat down, leaning back against one of the ugly sculptures.

“I hope you’re right…”

 

* * *

 

The whole floor trembled underneath their feet when the door finally opened, and Akira led the three of them past the deactivated lasers and into the corridor now opened to them. Defeating the Nue was a piece of cake; and not for the first time Joker felt more than a little grateful Goro was with them now, part of their team.

“Let’s look for the security panel!” the detective said once the fight was done, skipping towards the control room Akira remembered from before, the two of them hot on his tail. Disabling the lasers and keeping the door open permanently after that was a piece of cake, and just as the shadows started to pursue them, the trio turned back and ran, their task for the day complete. Ann’s scream and her, Yusuke and Morgana falling from the sky was just as unexpected and hilarious as Akira remembered it to be; although not quite as hilarious as the look on Goro’s face when he stared at the artist laying at their feet, after Ann was done with him.

“…wonderful.” the detective sighed, shaking his head in annoyance. “Another one? Really? At this rate, by the end of the year, the whole of Japan will know about Metaverse’s existence.”

_Well, if everything goes the same way it did before, you’re not wrong, detective._

“You’re overreacting.” Akira chuckled out loud, before offering his shoulder to Yusuke; only to be turned down by the artist, and given a rather grumpy look from Goro.

“Either way, let’s get out of here.” he murmured, and all of them agreed, making their way back through the corridors, making quick work of any shadows that stood in their way. Just as last time, Yusuke would slowly get himself accustomed to the Metaverse; and now, that Akira truly paid attention to him and all the expressions he was making as they went, he truly understood how much was it hitting the other boy. The vanity that pretty much adorned the walls of this despicable museum… even just this alone was hurting him. The paintings they found didn’t make it any better, and when Yusuke finally found a painting of himself, even Goro’s eyes softened behind his mask, watching as the boy tightened his lips and looked away.

“…stop looking away.” he said quietly, and Akira turned his head to look at him, surprised the detective spoke out. “I know it’s hard. But you can’t keep averting your eyes from the truth. This…” Goro pointed at the painting, and Yusuke grimaced as he looked back at it. “…this is all you are to him.”

“Crow, that’s…”

“No. He needs to face it.” Goro shook his head, even as Ann looked tensely between the two boys. Yusuke stared up at the painting, his expression unreadable.

“…that’s not all I am.” he said weakly, and Goro nodded quietly.

“Then remember that, from here on out. Because if you won’t, that’s all you’ll ever be.”

Akira had to say, he was pretty damn surprised by this. The way the detective spoke, he reminded him of the ship; of the time Goro faced his cognitive version, and has been forced to face the ugly truth of the fact that Shido never thought of him as more than a puppet. For the boy to say something like this so soon, though… did something happen? Was he talking from his own experience..? Or was this just a simple coincidence, brought over by the similarity of circumstance..?

Yusuke nodded curtly, and they moved forward; to the great hall with the despicable spiral-like statue in the middle of it, and Madarame waiting for them, shadows blocking their way. Akira could hear Goro curse beside himself as they formed their ranks around Yusuke, determined to protect the defenceless boy with all their might.

“Joker.”

“Hm?”

“There’s too many.”

“I know.”

“Any plans?”

“…focus on the door. Try to spear-head to the entrance. I’ll be watching our backs.”

“Got it.” Goro nodded, taking out his lightsabre; but before he could use it, before any of the fights could begin, Madarame started to talk; and Yusuke pushed forward, heartbreak visible in his eyes as he stared at the distorted, shadow version of his “father”.

It was, again, quite surprising how aggressively the detective came to Yusuke’s defence in all that. At the same time, it didn’t feel like he was doing it out of his like for the artist; quite the contrary. His defensive stance and the things he yelled to shut Madarame up alongside all of them were fuelled by the disgust for the man and his treatment of him. And when Yusuke finally laughed, and then fell to the ground as Goemon spoke to him, it was Goro who encouraged him; and Goro who stood by his side against the enemy.

The fight afterwards did not take long; not with Yusuke there with them. Goro and Akira caught the young artist simultaneously as he fell afterwards, propping him with his arms over their shoulders, and pressing hard towards the exit, escaping the Palace without stopping.

Seeing as the private security Madarame had called after Ann and Mona was still loitering about, the six of them proceeded to the diner, explaining to Yusuke, slowly and thoroughly, what exactly happened and what their plans were from then on. Ever since the other’s awakening, Goro kept quiet; only helping him walk as long as Yusuke still felt weak, and then sitting beside Akira at the diner, staring down into his tea as they talked about the Metaverse, Palaces and stealing hearts. When Yusuke asked to join them, and has been welcomed in, Goro finally rose his head, looking at the other boy with a frown.

“…I won’t object.” he started, though he sounded hesitant. “I suppose that every Persona user on our team is one less problem to worry about. I would like to caution everyone, though. It’s been a month, and we have already moved from two – three if we count Morgana – users of the Metaverse to six. We need to be more cautious when using the app, or else we’ll start pulling more innocent bystanders inside.”

“Agreed. We were kind of reckless with it recently…” Ann rubbed the back of her head and smiled a little, apologetic smile.

“It’s not just us being reckless. Not everyone has the potential to awaken to their Persona. If we pull someone into the Metaverse without their knowledge, we can be the cause of their deaths. We need to be conscious of that.”

They all looked down, and Akira sighed, leaning his weight lightly against Goro’s side. It was hard not to agree; but with legal action hanging over them now, Yusuke still trying to brave it through after he finally faced the kind of man Madarame truly was and hard deadline approaching, the raven felt exhausted from the strain alone. Beside himself, he could feel Goro shift a bit to accommodate him, turning to look at him with a little half-smile.

“…that being said. We have now reached what I assume is half point of the Palace. When do we finish our infiltration route, and end this business for good?”

“I’ll keep myself free, so just let me know what you decide… okay, leader?” Ann smiled at him, and Akira smiled back, nodding as they all agreed to wait for his decision. As they slowly finished their drinks and stood up, Goro leaned in a bit; their sides still pressing lightly against one another as he did.

“…I’ll agree with the timing you set, Akira… but I do have a request we take care of this as soon as possible.” he said quietly. “After this… I can’t be sure of anything yet, but I suspect I might be having a bit less time for our activities than before.”

“Oh?” Akira perked up, tilting his head as he watched the detective, wondering what did he mean by that. Goro only shook his head, though, smiling at him lightly.

“I’ll tell you more when I’ll be sure what’s going on.” and then, Goro looked away, at the door the rest of their group disappeared behind, leaving the two of them alone. “…another Persona user, huh…”

“Yeah. We’re lucky, aren’t we?” Akira smiled, watching Goro’s profile. The detective seemed to get lost in thought – again – and Akira didn’t mind using the little moment to look at him a bit more. He could be wrong – perhaps it was just wishful thinking – but he liked to think Goro’s features became softer and more animated the more time he was spending with all of the Phantom Thieves. It was like uncovering a completely new person; one that was far from the perfect media darling Akechi he could see on the programs he definitely wasn’t watching every occasion he got, and more his smart, sometimes dorky and sometimes silly friend. It was quite a precious sight.

“Though this time, it wasn’t me who triggered his awakening.” Akira added softly once he was sure Goro wasn’t coming back to earth on his own anytime soon. The detective blinked at him, only to look away as he smiled, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear.

“…yes. I was thinking about this, actually. Do you think I truly have helped? How strange… I never imagined _I_ , of all people, could help trigger something like this…”

 

* * *

  

The rest of the infiltration went fairly smoothly this time; and a lot more so for the fact Madarame’s Palace was more puzzle-based than Kamoshida’s, and Akira happened to remember a lot of the solutions. He knew where to look for passwords, which way to take as they scoured the giant paintings; and he remembered to not, under any circumstances, try to tickle the octopus.

It was the same with recognizing the real Sayuri, though there, it was Goro’s time to shine as he quickly pointed to the real one each time, earning little, praising remarks from Yusuke while at it. Throughout the infiltration, the distance between the two boys seemed to gradually close, and Akira had to say he felt happy for it. Contrary to his struggles with Ann and Ryuuji at first, when he only saw them as people who might replace him one day, Goro seemed to find it easier to work with Yusuke right from the start. Perhaps it was the fact that Yusuke joined quite a while after the Phantom Thieves have been established, and Goro felt himself much more part of the group. Whatever the reason, he looked quite happy when the young artist asked him for pointers or explanations of different mechanics in the Metaverse, letting him shine as he explained. On his part, Yusuke seemed to have a lot of respect for the detective; perhaps it had something to do with his earlier comment; with his insistence Yusuke faced the truth about Madarame, and his view of him.

The place they found the Treasure in was still the same as previously; the setting for quite some _Mission Impossible_ action, indeed. Once again, Akira kept mostly quiet; only steering the conversation, and letting the others figure out their course for action before he split their roles, assigning Goro to go with Ann and Ryuuji to take care of the possible guards watching the control room. He was also surprised by the detective again, who pointed at the windows by the rafters they were using to sneak overhead and marked them as possible escape routes. Of course, they will end up being just that, but just how much easier would this all be if Goro was already with them on their first run..?

They agreed to send the calling card the next day, and this time, Goro went together with Ryuuji and Yusuke to prepare it, on the direct request from the artist. Akira found himself smiling as he watched the three of them head towards the blond’s house, Ryuuji talking excitedly about what to write there while Yusuke seemed to be consulting Goro on which designs and materials to use, slowly getting the detective to partake in the brainstorming process, and even crack a rare smile once in a while.

Akira leaned his head back and smiled, walking to the station slowly, Morgana laying quietly in his bag. Despite them about to face-off against Madarame, the raven felt strangely light, almost happy. The picture of the six of them sitting in the booth of that diner; the six of them running through the Palace, helping one another, fighting alongside one another, chatting in one of the few safe places… his teammates, his friends waiting for his command to go on, and Goro’s eyes, focused and amused and _happy_ as they all worked together… even just remembering all that, how could he not smile?

“…Morgana?” Akira murmured, looking down at the bag concealing his friend, chuckling as he saw the cat stick out his head from there.

“What is it?”

“You know that feeling… when everything is going so well and according to plan and you just _know_ something terrible is about to happen..?” the raven laughed a somewhat strained laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

“…I guess? Are you feeling like that right now?”

“Kind of.”

Morgana shook his head, pawing at Akira’s side lightly before slinking back into the bag.

“Don’t worry. That’s a natural feeling for a rookie before stealing the Treasure. You’re just nervous about tomorrow, is all.” the cat yawned, and Akira smiled sadly down at his bag.

_If only I could just write it off as something like that…_

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** Calling card posted. Madarame will see it first thing in the morning.

 **Joker:** Good job. How did it turn out?

 **Crow:** Pretty good, if I say so myself. Yusuke has a real talent

 **Joker:** Ready for tomorrow?

 **Crow:** As ready as I ever will be.

 **Crow:** We’re meeting by the entrance to the exhibit, right?

 **Joker:** Mhm. You’ll be fine with your schedule?

 **Crow:** Yes, I only have TV appearances during morning hours lately. I do have permission from school, but my attendance might really suffer if this keeps up…

 **Joker:** Hey, you can always refuse

 **Crow:** Haha, no, I can’t.

 **Joker:** Sorry for pushing all the new responsibilities on you then

 **Crow:** It’s fine.

 **Crow:** I’m managing, somehow. I might be pulling more study sessions soon, though.

 **Joker:** Come stop by Leblanc, then. We could study together

 **Crow:** You know we’d just end up talking into the night if I did that

 **Crow:** Not that I terribly mind

 **Crow:** But, you know

 **Crow:** Study first

 **Joker:** What if I promise to be good and stay behind the counter and not bother you?

 **Crow:** Haha, you really want me there that much?

 **Joker:** yep

 **Crow:** …alright then

 **Crow:** I’ll stop by sometime soon

 

* * *

 

Akira did not expect to be scared while facing Madarame.

He expected to feel a lot of things. The thrill of a fight; worry for his friends, anger for Yusuke’s sake. Maybe even satisfaction for being able to get at the man who hurt his friend so badly. But fear… fear was not something he was prepared for.

It started right before Madarame had changed; they had grabbed the false treasure without any problems and rushed out, running through the glittering museum until Morgana finally stopped, and they were all almost caught into a trap, the phony painting as their bait. Akira already knew what Madarame was about to say; and found himself subconsciously moving closer to Yusuke, giving him the brief comfort he could as the words hung in the air, heavy with meaning as the real Sayuri was presented to them.

“I’ve heard that you destroy your “art”, once they outlive their usefulness… Did that include my mother as well?”

They all tensed up at the question; it was impossible not to feel a chill run down one’s spine as Madarame – the man whom Yusuke considered almost his father – told him, with a mocking smile on his face, just how did she die; just how did he kill her. Unbidden, Akira’s eyes darted to the side; and for the first time since they entered the Palace, he felt truly scared. Because beside him stood Goro; his eyes burning with anger, his fists clenched as he battled for control. It must have hit too close for him; and without thinking, Akira’s hand shot to the side, wrapping around Goro’s white glove just as his fist uncurled, ready to reach for his gun. Crimson eyes shot to Akira’s own, and for a moment, he saw anger there; but then, this melted away, and Goro’s shoulders relaxed as he looked to the side where Yusuke laughed, in hoarse voice thanking Madarame for taking away any reservations he might have had.

“…good. Focus on that feeling.” Goro said quietly, and Akira blinked, only after a moment realizing he was talking to Yusuke, and not him. The artist nodded, his face set, and Goro smiled lightly, slipping his hand away from Akira’s hold and standing beside him, resting his own hand on Yusuke’s shoulder.

“We’ll finish him together.”

“Understood.”

 

* * *

 

The fight wasn’t as hard as it was with Kamoshida. Few well-timed attacks later, some paint-work from Yusuke and several more rounds of the same gig, Madarame has been defeated; and Goro moved close to Akira, eyes wary as Yusuke neared his former master, tearing Sayuri from his hands.

As Madarame cowered before him, begging for his life, and Ryuuji and Ann already boarded Morgana in his bus form, Yusuke stood over him, the pain and betrayal he felt pouring out of the boy. And then, slowly, Goro stepped forward; his eyes downcast as he said quietly; so quietly only Yusuke and Akira could hear it.

“…what will you do? It’s your call. Whatever you decide… none of us will stop you.”

For a second, there was silence; and Akira blinked, in quiet shock. He remembered a similar situation; with Kamoshida, and Ann. Only now did he realize that they never gave Yusuke a choice; never acknowledged that some hurts, some betrayals were too personal to judge them as a group. Yusuke hesitated; and Akira saw him gripping at Sayuri, staring at the gentle face of his mother, perhaps for the first time in his life truly understanding what he was looking at.

“…that would just make me as bad as he is.” he finally said, and Akira watched as Goro’s eyes widened lightly behind his mask. In another realization, the raven understood that – should their roles have been reversed – Goro would have pulled out his gun, and shot. Like this, he simply stood there for a few, stunned seconds; before nodding and turning away, leading the rest of them to board Morgana and finally get out of there.

They fell out of the Metaverse together, tired, but not overly exhausted; Yusuke holding the painting of Sayuri gently even as he himself fell over onto his ass the moment they appeared in the real world. As the artist stood up, Akira noticed Goro has been watching him; and even moved to the side to exchange few quiet words with Yusuke – words Akira didn’t catch – before they disbanded soon afterwards, all of them aching to head home. As their friends disappeared, heading into the directions of their respective homes, Goro lingered alongside Akira, having that special, melancholy look on his face that told the raven he had something he wanted to speak to him about.

“…Leblanc?” Akira said quietly, while Morgana nestled himself comfortably in his bag and curled up, ready for sleep. The detective hesitated, before nodding silently and starting to walk towards the station. Through the whole trip, they were quiet; and perhaps, as Akira thought about it later, he should have said something then. Maybe an encouragement or the right question would have made Goro open up more. Perhaps, if he did, things would have been easier for them. And yet, Akira didn’t, and they remained silent all the way home, until finally they entered the café together, the sight so common by now Sojiro only nodded at them briefly and went back to watching the news.

“Want me to make us some coffee?” Akira smiled, sliding into his usual seat as Goro sat down on his own, looking much more collected and calm. He must have sorted through his thoughts on their way there; and instead of continuing to avoid his gaze, the detective looked up with a little, tired smile and shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. I was only seeking company tonight.”

“No difficult conversations?”

“Maybe not this time.” Goro laughed quietly and leaned back on his seat. “…I’m glad this is over. Madarame’s Palace is gone, isn’t it?”

“Yes, hopefully. Did you see the messages Fox has sent us?”

“Yes, I did. It all seems to be well… although we might need a bit more time before the general public will see the effect of our actions. I’m happy, though. This means I don’t need to worry about you going to jail anymore.”

Akira laughed at that, shaking his head.

“This again?”

“I scolded you back then for being laid-back… but you know?” Goro smiled lightly once more, looking over Leblanc. This time of the evening, there were no customers left; just the two of them, Morgana and Sojiro; and it felt even more peaceful than usual.

“If you live in a place like that… maybe I can understand why you always act so calm and collected. I wish I could spend more time here…”

“You can, you know.”

Goro smiled at him for that, and it was just the kind of genuine smile that made Akira feel his heart give a strange little lurch.

“…thank you, Akira. You know…” Goro hesitated, frowning as he looked away. Akira felt himself reach out his hand, and for a second, he thought the detective might take it; but panicked before it could happen, and moved it over to the other’s shoulder, patting it gently.

“…know what?”

“It is a bit embarrassing to say, however…” Goro sighed quietly, leaning a little to the side; more into Akira’s touch on his shoulder. “It makes me happy to have a place where I am a welcome sight at.”

“Hey. It’s not like you’re unwelcome anywhere.” Akira smiled lightly, leaning back on his chair as he finally took away his hand. “Being the famous Detective Prince and all…”

Goro laughed, shaking his head at that.

“This is exactly what I mean. Ever since I gotten famous, no one talks to me like I’m a person anymore. You were the first one who did, actually. Not just agreeing with me and being starstruck... you wanted to be my friend, and that was something I never had with anyone else.”

The honesty of the other boy’s words, the sweet confession; it made Akira’s heart thrum hard in his chest. And then, Goro looked down, and his bangs hid his eyes from view; and the raven felt himself shake off the sudden emotion, focusing once again on his troubled friend.

“…no matter how undeserving am I of such treatment…”

“Goro, what are you talking about?”

“…you’ve heard me, hadn’t you? What I tried to do… I didn’t even think about it. I wanted to give Yusuke the chance to enact his revenge… What did I think I was doing..? I was… I was _tempting_ him to…”

“He had the right to be given this choice, Goro.” Akira said quietly, clenching his fists. “We… I honestly feel ashamed. I was about to run to Mona, like the rest… We never gave Yusuke any real say, in the end, did we? We heard he was being hurt, we nagged and nagged him until he has been forced to face what he might not have wanted to face… we made him battle the man he must have still loved as a father, deep down, and in the end, left him alone to deal with it. You… were the only one who stayed with him. Who gave him the tiniest bit of control, of closure. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But if he did…”

“Yusuke made the right call.” Akira shook his head, looking at Goro seriously. “There’s no point in _ifs_.”

“What he had said…”

For a long moment, the two of them sat in silence; only the TV playing in the background. Goro has leaned his hand on his chin, shoulders slowly relaxing as the tension bled out from them; Akira let him think of what he wanted to say. The boy detective looked like he needed it, after all.

“Do you think Yusuke was right? Saying that, had he decided to kill Madarame’s shadow and cause a mental shutdown in him… he’d be just as bad as Madarame had been? But Madarame was a criminal… someone who had hurt him…”

“Madarame acted the way he did thinking he had the right to do so. His perception was warped, and you could see it for yourself. Yusuke knew what was wrong and what was right… and fixating on revenge and taking Madarame’s life was _wrong_ , Goro. It would have feel satisfying to him, perhaps… but he’d be no better than the man who killed his mother.”

“…you really think that, then.”

Goro frowned, his fingers drumming against the counter. Akira knew; though the detective couldn’t have known that; what was he thinking about. Mothers, fathers and single sons, left to fend for themselves in the world…

“I mean… I suppose if one lives only in the moment, and for the moment.” Akira hummed, gently pulling Goro back from his thoughts. “As I have said, perhaps killing Madarame’s shadow would have felt satisfying for Yusuke. But what then? He’d have his whole life tainted by guilt, regret, he wouldn’t know what to do. Yusuke wasn’t fixated on his revenge. He… probably just wants to live, like every one of us. He wants to have a future.”

“A future, huh.” Goro smiled lightly, leaning back on his seat. “What a curious way of thinking about it.”

“Are you saying I’m being stupid?”

“Hm… perhaps.”

“Come on.” Akira laughed softly, nudging Goro’s side. This was enough for today, he decided. “No serious conversations, right? So let’s go up and take advantage of the fact Morgana is still asleep. We could watch the DVD I borrowed yesterday. I didn’t buy that super-old TV set for nothing, you know.”

“Oh? What’s the DVD?”

“The X Folders.”

“Is that a crime series? Sounds interesting…”


	13. Moments of Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves enjoy a moment of calm - by putting in motion a plan meant to celebrate one of their own. 
> 
> Goro is at a loss of what to do with them all.

**Joker:** Good morning, detective

 **Joker:** Just checking in on you

 **Joker:** Whether you’re okay

 **Joker:** And whether big bad ghosts haven’t killed you during the night

 **Crow:** …

 **Crow:** I hate you

 **Crow:** This was the last time I let you choose the movie

 **Joker:** How could I know you’re a scaredy-cat like that? ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡

 **Joker:** I was half-expecting you to call crying in the middle of the night

 **Crow:** out of the two of us, it’s you who calls crying after a nightmare so shut up

 **Crow:** AND I WASN’T SCARED!

 **Joker:** Of course you weren’t. And it was Morgana hugging my arm and hiding behind me on scary scenes

 **Crow:** I did no such thing

 **Joker:** I have photo evidence

 **Crow:** …I swear to god, I’m going to kill you

 **Joker:** _scaredycat.jpg_

 **Crow:** DELETE THAT

 **Joker:** (*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

 

Akira grinned, watching as Goro kept sending him messages, switching between threatening texts and begging ones. The raven opened the photo once more. It was kind of dark and kind of blurry on the edges, but it was still a selfie of himself and Goro, the detective’s arms wrapped tightly around his arm and face hidden in his shoulder while the light from the TV illuminated the two of them. Akira felt all warm and fuzzy as he looked at it for what had to be tenth time since he woke up, congratulating himself on picking the scary DVD for them to watch.

“…you’re going to get sick if you keep watching movies with your boyfriend instead of sleeping, you know.” Morgana meowed at him, jumping up onto the bed once he was done with his breakfast. Akira rolled his eyes.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Sure.”

“And besides, you’ve watched it, too! You really liked it, even!”

“So? I’m not the leader of the Phantom Thieves. If I get sleepy during the day, I can always just take a nap in your bag.”

Akira sighed and shook his head, flopping back onto the bed. It felt nice, last night, relaxing like that with his friend, teasing him and watching as Goro tried his best to be brave while being so obviously freaked out at the jump scares. And when he clung to him at the scariest parts… Akira didn’t even remember what the movie was about, he was too busy hoping the detective was too scared to notice how hard his heart was beating.

 

 **Crow:** Akira!

 **Crow:** Come on!

 **Crow:** Don’t be an ass!

 **Joker:** Okay, okay, chill

 **Joker:** How about I cut you a deal?

 **Joker:** You do something for me and I’ll delete it

 **Crow:** that is not a deal, that is blackmail

 **Joker:** Nope, it’d be a blackmail if I threatened to send it to all your fans

 **Joker:** Which I’m not doing

 **Joker:** I’m just going to keep that photo safe on my phone

 **Joker:** Probably as a lockscreen

 **Crow:** …did I mention I hate you?

 **Joker:** You might have said something like that some hundred times or so, yes

 **Crow:** /fine/. What’s the damn deal.

 **Joker:** You coming to your birthday party in uh

 **Joker:** Less than two weeks now

 **Joker:** Ann proposed we go to Inokashira together and have a picnic.

 **Joker:** They have a bicycle rental there, too, so we can all go cycling around the park if you want

 **Joker:** I messaged Yusuke and he said he’ll come, too, as long as you’re ok with it

 **Joker:** So we might even get a painting of all of us together out of it

 **Joker:** Then again, we can also get a painting of the swan boats, because who really knows with Yusuke

 **Crow:** …you were planning a birthday party? For me?

 **Crow:** How do you even know when my birthday is?

 **Joker:** Um, you do realize you have a dedicated fanbase that knows what colour underwear you’re wearing, right?

 **Joker:** Your birthday is basically public knowledge compared to that

 **Crow:** Please tell me you’re joking

 **Joker:** About the underwear?

 **Crow:** YES ABOUT THE UNDERWEAR

 **Joker:** yep, I was joking. It is a legit topic of discussion on these forums, though

 **Joker:** my guess was black

 **Joker:** But if you’d confirm or deny that, I might or might not be placing some bets

 **Crow:** Don’t even

 **Crow:** What the hell?!

 **Crow:** Why are you reading these forums in the first place?!

 **Joker:** Didn’t we already establish I’m a stalker?

 **Joker:** Okay, so, June 2nd, Inokashira Park

 **Joker:** Think of what else would you like we do, but the picnic and eventual bicycle trip is already organized

 **Joker:** We meet in Shibuya after school

 **Crow:** …I have work on that day, though

 **Crow:** It’s… admittedly in the evening, but…

 **Joker:** Come on, on your birthday? Can’t you move it a day?

 **Crow:** Uh…

 **Crow:** Okay

 **Crow:** I’ll try

 **Crow:** Since you’re blackmailing me

 **Joker:** Not blackmail

 **Crow:** I’ll be the judge of that

 **Crow:** …

 **Joker:** What is it?

 **Crow:** if you guys wanted to do something fun together

 **Crow:** In case it was raining or something

 **Crow:** There’s also the climbing wall in Shibuya

 **Crow:** I have some vouchers.

 **Crow:** Free-first-entry ones

 **Crow:** they came with my membership card and I just kind of never got to give them to anyone so I have enough for all of you

 **Crow:** so…

 **Joker:** You got it, birthday boy. We can switch that for bicycle trip then since we might not make all three

 **Crow:** I mean, you don’t need to! Picnic is really fine all on its own… more than fine…

 **Crow:** …you didn’t have to, you know?

 **Crow:** go to all this trouble

 **Joker:** Are you kidding me?

 **Joker:** of course we had to

 **Joker:** what’s more, we wanted to

 **Joker:** To be fair, the plan was to throw you a surprise party

 **Joker:** But we realized with your schedule, that might not work out

 **Joker:** So we’re throwing you a regular party instead, and we’re gonna celebrate the hell out of your birthday

 **Joker:** Even if it means blackmailing you into participating

 **Crow:** oh? So you admit it’s blackmail?

 **Joker:** It’s not!

 

* * *

 

It was a quiet week for all of them; with Akira focusing on hanging out with his friends and updating their gear and his own Personas a bit. Goro was working a lot; almost every evening he’d be called to attend some meetings with the police or the other. The boy detective explained that this was all because of the fact he had free time for his exams, that he requested another day free for his birthday and, chiefly – that the law enforcement was getting restless, with the calling card sent to Madarame now brought to their attention. Akira knew that once the man confesses, and during a press conference, at that, they will have a lot more work, still.

For now, they enjoyed the break, although Akira did miss Goro’s presence in Leblanc. He found the boy there a few times anyway, but stayed true to his words of letting him study as the detective holed himself up in one of the booths and went through his textbooks or case documents, only smiling gratefully when Akira brought him another cup of coffee, or a little snack to help him in his work. Boss didn’t seem to mind; only looked between the two of them with amused look whenever this happened and commented how Akira should learn from his friend.

On the Wednesday evening, a day before Goro’s birthday, Akira pacified Morgana enough to let him stay up until midnight; and called the detective, giggling at his grumpy _hello_ before singing him a full _Happy Birthday_ together with Morgana, who sung… well, like a cat. Still, Goro sounded extremely happy when, after a moment of stunned silence, he thanked them in a somewhat choked voice before asking them to go to sleep. Akira complied; and he fell asleep with a grin on his face that night, feeling giddy and excited about the special day.

It turned out to be a nice, sunny one; and though Ryuuji and Mishima of course _had to_ pick this particular afternoon to make Akira commit to Operation Maidwatch, at least the blond remembered they couldn’t exactly do that _this_ evening. They left the timing to him, and Akira amused himself for the rest of his classes texting with Goro about the Operation and teasing him on whether he didn’t want to join them. He only stopped when the detective threatened not to show up for his birthday if he keeps that up.

After school, it was only a quick trip home for Akira to change into his normal clothes and grab his gym bag before going right back to Shibuya, grinning as he saw them all already gathered there. Goro was the last one to show up, and that was just as well, since he had to sit through only one embarrassing as hell scene of all of them singing him a _happy birthday_ while he stood in the middle of the group, red-faced and yet smiling wider than Akira ever remembered seeing him smile.

They decided they’ll go for the climbing wall first – and though Ann looked hesitant about the idea and Yusuke confessed to being somewhat more of an intellectual person rather than sports one, they all looked forward to the fun as Goro led them to his climbing wall club, smiling to himself all the way.

“…you look happy.” Akira murmured, falling in beside the detective as they walked. Goro looked up, smiling at him lightly.

“…yes. Isn’t it strange? I really am happy on my own birthday.”

Akira smiled back, looking up at the sky as they walked, feeling light, as if he was walking on air. Ah… this was what was missing last time, he supposed. Well, maybe not missing… it’s not like his friendship with all of the Phantom Thieves back then was in any way lacking. He loved them, every one of them; they were his precious friends. But at times, it almost felt like Akira was the only person holding them together. Perhaps because he spent time with each one of them individually, and they rarely had a chance to hang out as a group, the feeling prevailed; the group chats were also strictly Phantom Thieves business oriented for the longest time. Now, with Goro here, perhaps because of how much time they now spent all together and talked about one another, they started to feel closer than ever before. The banter, the little inside jokes, it somehow all came together more completely and much sooner. Akira couldn’t help but think that this – this, with the six of them – was how it was supposed to be in the first place.

“You seem lost in thought.” Goro hummed to him as they entered an alley behind the Rocinante mall and entered the climbing wall club the detective was talking about. Goro showed the vouchers at the register, and his own member card, and they were all shown to the locker rooms, Morgana assuring them he’ll be cheering them on from the ground level.

“I was just thinking.” Akira smiled, taking his jacket off and pulling out his gym clothes. “Remember the first time we met..? The only reason I got off the train in Shibuya was because I was debating whether to go find a restaurant to eat at or just buy some cup ramen and be done with it. I decided on a restaurant…”

“Ah… interesting thought. So you’re saying that, should you have chosen cup ramen, we might have never met?” Goro hummed, looking quite interested.

“Mhm. It’s kind of silly to think that, but if I didn’t make a decision like that, perhaps we wouldn’t be all here today, about to have fun climbing together.”

“Same thing happened for all of us, dude. We only met ‘cause it was raining that one day.”

Ryuuji took off his shirt and stuffed it into his locker before pulling on his workout T-shirt, while Yusuke, already somehow changed, was looking over the vending machine in the corner with interest, murmuring to himself about the exceptionally low prices of the drinks. Still, hearing their conversation, he too turned to look.

“Yes, I have to agree. It was by accident I noticed Ann and decided to pursue her, after all.”

“Dude, that sounds all kinds of wrong.”

Akira chuckled with the rest of them, pulling off his own shirt and finally starting to change. He could feel Goro’s eyes on himself, and suddenly felt somewhat self-conscious. How did he even look..? Admittedly, his days seemed to contain a lot more training with Morgana or Ryuuji than they did before, as he found he had a little bit more free time than usual, but still… he probably looked all pale and scrawny, didn’t he..?

“When you think of it, everything in life happens directly because of little details like such. That’s why we have the butterfly effect theory.” Goro smiled, though Akira was almost sure he was blushing as he turned away and started to change, too; Ryuuji actually whistling when he saw him without his shirt. Akira was very, very close to whistling, too, and he saw Yusuke from the corner of his eye measuring up a good shoot of the detective’s silhouette with his fingers.

_I’d so buy that painting._

“Man, you’re kinda ripped, aren’t you?” Ryuuji finally said, staring. Goro blinked at him before blushing as he pulled his black workout T-shirt on and started to tie his hair up into a ponytail.

“H-huh? I’m definitely not… well, I know I do have more muscle than I look, but that’s just from climbing. You’d be surprised how well it works for developing the core…”

“Perhaps you would find some time to pose for me, Goro? I’m sure I could create an exemplary art piece with you as a model…”

“Clothes or no clothes?” Akira asked with keen interest. Yusuke only frowned at him.

“Nude, of course.”

“Dude, more importantly...” Ryuuji rubbed his chin. “That member card… ‘s that shit expensive?”

Goro blinked at all of them before starting to explain different membership plans to the suddenly very intently listening blond, while Akira was in the process of dying a little inside. He knew Goro was strong; he saw he had some nicely developed muscles on his arms, too, when they changed to their summer uniforms. But he did not expect a pretty damn perfectly shaped body from him; not ripped, as Ryuuji had claimed, but with muscles defined just nicely enough to be visible under the soft skin and _goddammit_ this was not helping his crush at all.

Finally, Goro finished changing – by pulling on some climbing gloves, because of course he did – and they were set to go. The detective has been welcomed by staff with familiarity, and he waved cheerfully at them, even though from the distant look, Akira could see he was back in his shell around whom he didn’t know well. Ann joined the four of them, and they spotted Morgana sitting on a little bench by the wall opposite to the training area. Akira smiled, looking at all of them. The whole team, together.

Everyone was given a quick lecture on safety, equipment and rules of the place – Goro staying with them to listen more for company than anything else – before they were finally allowed in and directed to the easiest wall, to gauge their skill. Goro went with them, rolling his shoulders while Ryuuji stared up at the walls – some of which were pretty damn high.

“Man, we gotta start from this kiddie wall..?” he groaned, only for Goro to laugh at him.

“Well, the sooner you get to the top of this one, the sooner you’ll get to the other ones, okay? Now, do you want to watch me climb first, or are you going in blind?”

It turned out to be a little more complicated than it looked at first. When Goro climbed, it looked so effortless and easy; but the moment they started, suddenly they were all painfully aware of how weak their arms and legs were, and how heavy their body was. Ryuuji was the first on top, with Yusuke following surprisingly quickly and Goro cheering them on from the bottom while Ann and Akira went for a slower, more careful climb. They waited for one another before moving to the next wall, and the next; and as he watched the detective, Akira started to understand why Goro wanted them to go for climbing all together on his birthday.

It wasn’t that he did a lot of climbing himself; but he was just so happy to teach them, give them pointers, cheer on them; and seemed so flattered when they all praised his skill and asked for advice. Goro loved being in the limelight, that Akira has already established, and like this, he could really feel in the centre of attention while at the same time making sure his friends were having a really good time.

They went for a little break after a while, massaging out their arms and hands and chatting excitedly about the more difficult or scary places. Goro had told them there was a Tyrolean traverse part in the back, and Ryuuji and Yusuke went there, interested, together with two cheerful instructors to help them. Ann, who quickly turned from careful to absolutely fearless while climbing, wanted to try the tallest and most difficult wall they had access to yet, and went on ahead, while Akira let himself rest a bit more, Goro staying with him as he chatted with Morgana, explaining how he got into climbing in the first place, and what were his favourite styles.

“…you know, vertical climbing is interesting and all, but I find bouldering to be more exciting.” the detective hummed, a soft smile on his face.

“What’s bouldering?” Akira tilted his head, and Goro gestured at the lower, but a lot more uneven walls, with mattresses underneath them.

“Basically, this. You climb without harness, and it’s more about going horizontally than vertically. It’s pretty damn hard, too. You really use your bodyweight while on it.”

“Oh? Wanna show me?” Akira grinned, and took Goro’s hand as the detective reached it out to help him get up.

“Sure. Don’t be surprised if you fall on your ass the first ten times, though.”

Akira ended up doing just that; and yet, he was getting better very quickly. Contrary to the climbing walls they tried before, this was, just as Goro had said, a lot more exciting, and a lot more like traversing a Palace. You needed to find a path and create a plan of how to go through it, sometimes swinging your body in order to reach another footrest and sometimes hanging by the tips of your fingers as you tried to scour a particularly steep fall. Even the falls were fun, with Goro laughing and teasing him as he watched, and then yelping quietly every time he himself fell, trying to show him how it was done.

They had fun with just the two of them for a while; Ryuuji and Yusuke joined Ann in scouring wall after all, only stopping by for a while to watch Akira’s epic fail on a particularly tough bit before moving on. Once the raven had enough, they simply sat down under the bouldering walls, watching their friends climb on, and chuckling as they chatted quietly.

“So, how am I doing, sensei?” Akira chimed in, chuckling softly as Goro snorted at the name.

“Better than I expected. I have a hard time believing it was your first time bouldering, actually.”

“Welp, I guess I’m just really good with my hands.” Akira grinned, only to laugh as Goro choked on the green tea he was just about to take a sip of. He was still giggling and patting his friend’s back when they heard a slight commotion, and one of the instructors that helped with belaying them shouting out for someone to let go. Goro looked up curiously, before frowning and standing up.

“…damn, Ryuuji’s stuck.” he murmured. Goro was right; Ryuuji seemed to be trying to glue himself to the wall, unable to move either up or down, even as the instructors yelled at him to let himself fall off. The detective frowned, before grabbing a line and throwing the other end to Akira.

“He’s probably just gotten dizzy… Hey, keep it tight, okay? I’ll go for him.” he said.

It was pretty incredible, again, watching Goro climb. This – the same as cycling – was something the detective had a passion for, and it could be seen in every move as he carefully scoured the wall. It didn’t take him more than a minute to get to where Ryuuji was; and Akira watched, mesmerized, how he talked to him, patted his shoulder, and as he did, Ryuuji slowly seemed to relax. They fell off together, Akira and the instructor belaying Ryuuji slowly lowering them both down. It went so fast and quiet, Ann and Yusuke didn’t even seem to notice there was a problem; and Ryuuji looked embarrassed, but also pretty grateful for that.

“Uh… thanks. Sorry for panicking.” Ryuuji mumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at Goro, once they were both safe on the ground.

“It happens to everyone sometimes.” the detective smiled, shrugging lightly. “You just look down one time and suddenly you freeze up. I had it, too. Do you want to grab something to drink and rest up?”

“Hell, no! I’m gonna climb that damn wall! So, uh… wanna show me how?”

They didn’t have much time left for climbing, but the rest of it Goro dutifully spent with Ryuuji, while Akira took Yusuke and Ann for them to try bouldering. Even as they laughed and climbed and then fell off, Akira’s eyes kept going back to the two figures climbing together up the tall walls; and see them laughing and chatting together. It was… quite funny, really. On one part, Akira almost wished he was the one Goro was laughing with; but on the other, he was just so ridiculously happy at how at ease the detective was, not just with him, but with all of them.

It was also luck on their side that the time ran out while Goro was busy with just one of them, and not all; because Akira, Ann, Yusuke and Morgana sneaked out from the club before the other two boys were even done showering and changing, and Akira and Yusuke made the run for the coin locker in which they left all of their stuff for the picnic while Ann and Morgana went off with a mission of picking up the cake they ordered at the nearby bakery. They hopped on the train just in time, Ryuuji letting them know he had Goro in tow and was following them, and managed to set everything up in the spot they scouted out before in the park by the time the two boys finally arrived.

Goro stopped in his tracks when he saw them for the first time. Between the two trees that gave their little spot some shade, there was a ribbon with _Happy birthday, Crow!_ written on it; underneath, they put out few blankets to make a sufficiently big sitting space for all of them, and there were cups, plates, food and drink set all around. Akira supplied them all with a huge thermos of Leblanc’s coffee; Ann brought some sweets from a shop she frequented with Shiho while Yusuke and Ryuuji took care of snacks and cold drinks. And in the middle of it all, there was a birthday cake, with a little drawing of Crow’s mask done in red frosting, together with a bigger drawing of a bicycle. Ryuuji grinned and sat down with all of them, and they looked with smiles on their faces as Goro stood before them, speechless, before turning away and covering his face in his hands.

“H-hey..?! Goro-kun, are you alright?”

Ann ran up to him, soon pulling him into a hug; and all of them joined, no matter how many weird looks they were gathering while at it. As they did, Goro seemed to unwind, thanking them all again and again in a choked voice as they all made him sit in the middle and cut his cake, laughing with him, wishing him everything the best, giving him the little gifts they got him. From Ann, Goro received a key-chain in the shape of a crepe; from Ryuuji, he got a red wristband with a black bird on it, presumably crow; Yusuke apologized for his gift being late, but promised Goro a painting of his birthday party once he was finished with it, and Akira and Morgana gifted him with a rather beautiful, leather book cover; inside, there was the printout of the unfortunate selfie Akira promised to delete. Admittedly, he got a smack on the head from the blushing detective for this one, but he was not sorry at all.

“You didn’t have to…” Goro seemed to be whispering with every next gift and every next _happy birthday_ ; his voice was still choked somewhat, and even as they all finally sat down and relaxed and ate, chatting and laughing, the detective kept looking around, as if he couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“Hey, let’s take a selfie!” Ann exclaimed after a moment, and they crowded around Goro once more; grinning and making weird faces as they took picture after picture. Somewhere along the afternoon, as it slowly turned into evening and they started to tidy up their things and gather and split all the food they weren’t able to finish, Akira glimpsed Goro’s phone; and smiled when he saw one of the selfies already set as his screensaver. It was almost completely dark when they all walked towards the station, blankets and bags with leftover food in their hands. Goro was at the back; smiling to himself and silent as Akira slowed down his step and fell in beside him.

“…so.” he murmured quietly, nudging his friend’s side. “Had fun?”

“The most I ever had on my birthday.” Goro replied, and the sweet, beautiful smile he gave him while saying that made Akira’s breath catch in his throat. “Thank you. For all of this.”

Akira felt himself shake his head lightly, smiling, wanting to say something to the end of _it’s nothing_ , and maybe while he was at it, also _do you want to go out with me?_... but before he could, Goro spoke again, looking forward with that satisfied smile on face.

“Oh, by the way, you said you had a social studies trip sometime after Golden Week, right?”

Ann looked back at them, smiling and nodding.

“Yep! On 9th and 10th! I think I’ll go to the TV station…”

“It would be nice if you all did.” Goro smiled back at her. “I’m supposed to be taping some morning show on the 10th, and I know there were supposed to be students in the audience, so it’s probably your school attending. It would be nice if we could spend school time together for once, wouldn’t it?”


	14. Steal Your Heart!... on live TV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the social studies trip arrives, and there are some hearts out in the open, ready to be stolen.

Akira had to say, he was actually looking forward to the social studies trip this year.

Not because he had any hopes it was going to get any less boring than the last time; when they were walked around the studio, and listening to the explanations of how editing division is responsible for editing, and how gathering sponsors is important. No, that part was going to be just as painfully dull as the last time; but going for that trip marked a sort of anniversary for the raven.

On that day, in the future that will now never come to pass if he had any say in it, they have met one Akechi Goro for the first time. The same Akechi Goro who has been studying at Leblanc every evening for the last week, smiling up at him and talking to him and looking more like he wanted to spend some time with Akira than actually study, even as the raven tried his best to give him peace and quiet for it. The same Akechi Goro who now had all of them doing dorky faces around him on his lockscreen, and who had a cute little crepe-shaped keychain dangling alongside his keys.

The Akechi Goro who was a cherished part of their team, and smiled more easily and genuinely than he ever would have back then.

Their trip to the TV studio alone was a success for Akira in that regard.

The first day _was_ pretty lame; with weird old guys hitting on Ann and Ryuuji losing his patience with one of them, they were stuck moving cables for half of the trip. At least this was less boring than the monotone explanations of the most obvious things; and once they were done and all met up, they even caught a few moments with Goro, who found them on his way to the meeting.

“So, you guys are done for today?” he smiled, setting down his case and leaning against the wall beside them, smiling gratefully at Akira as the raven threw him a sandwich he got for him beforehand. Akira still remembered how, during their fateful conversation about pancakes, the detective mentioned he hadn’t had the time to eat that day, and was set on correcting this detail.

“Yeah, thankfully. You always told us being on TV was a chore, but I never thought it’d be this boring!”

Goro laughed quietly, shaking his head before leaning it back against the wall, unwrapping his sandwich.

“Seriously. I wish I could just dump this all… It’s like going to three schools at once. _And_ being a Phantom Thief on top of that.”

Ryuuji pat the detective’s shoulder lightly before yawning. Goro smiled over at him.

“So, you guys are going for cake now? I’m jealous…”

“…cake? Dude, what’re you talking about?”

“Huh? Am I wrong? I heard something about delicious pancakes while coming here…”

Akira laughed quietly, shaking his head; though the words still made a shiver run down his spine.

“That was just Mona. He asked what Dome Town is, since it looks kind of like a pancake.”

Goro scrunched his nose at that, shaking his head.

“So you’re going to ride scream machines instead of going for cake… I don’t understand you people.”

“Oh? You scared of roller-coasters, _scaredy-cat_?”

“…did you just…”

“Oi, oi, guys, no fighting in the TV station.” Ann laughed, shaking her head at them. “Well, I guess it’s best we go somewhere you wouldn’t enjoy anyway, then, Goro-kun. Since you have that meeting… are you sure you don’t want to come join us once you’re done?”

“I’ll pass on the screaming machines, thank you.” Goro shook his head decisively. “Besides, I would feel bad if we went all together while Yusuke is still at school. I have no idea how long the meeting is going to last this time, either… they made some last-minute changes to the script, I don’t know why, and now everything is a lot more complicated.” the boy sighed quietly and shook his head, smiling as Akira rested his hand on his shoulder lightly.

“Want to come to Leblanc in the evening for some curry after a tough day?” he asked with a smile, and Goro looked at him gratefully.

“Actually, yes. There’s something I need to talk to you about, anyway.”

 

* * *

 

Dome Town was fun, admittedly – Akira didn’t share Goro’s dislike for roller-coasters, although Morgana did seem to be grateful he – being a cat – did not need to ride one. It’s been a while since they spent time just the four of them – they never did before, actually. It felt somewhat wrong now, without Goro there, lecturing them on the safety belts’ importance or laughing at their antics. Ann, Ryuuji and Morgana noticed that, too.

Leblanc was quiet, with just a few regulars seated in the booths when Akira finally came back, Sojiro raising an eyebrow at him.

“Where did you lose the other kid?”

“…Goro?” Akira smiled lightly, moving up the stairs to leave his things there before coming back down, washing his hands and reaching for the apron. “He’ll come later. He has work late today.”

Sojiro hummed quietly, and for now, Akira busied himself washing the dishes and cleaning up the counter, all the while feeling the older man’s eyes on him. It was already the time Sojiro started to warm up to him; and Akira’s skill with coffee only helped that bond to grow. It made the raven smile thinking how him and Goro coming to Leblanc together or right after one another was such a common sight by now Sojiro would wonder where the other boy was by now. It felt… _good_. It felt like it was supposed to be.

“So, listen… with that other kid, are you two…” Sojiro said suddenly, only to stop when the bell by the door rung, and Goro himself stepped into the café, smiling at the two of them and bowing politely at the older man, who stood there, stroking his beard. Akira smiled at the detective, before turning to Sojiro with a curious look.

“Are we what..?”

“…nevermind. Go make coffee for your friend, you know how he takes it already.”

Akira nodded and did, setting the cup in front of the detective, who took his usual spot by the counter instead of his working one in one of the booths this time.

“So.” the raven smiled as Goro thanked him and started to drink, while the plate with curry soon found its way in front of him as well. “You wanted to talk about something?”

“Ah… yes. Would it be okay if we went to your room once I’m done?” the detective inquired somewhat shyly, and Akira nodded, looking over at Sojiro who frowned at the two of them.

“…I mean, I don’t mind, just…”

“Just what..?”

“…nevermind.” the man shook his head, and Akira frowned, feeling like he was definitely missing something there.

He finished his usual duties at the café quickly, while Goro ate, chatting with Morgana quietly as he did, looking tired but quite relaxed, as usual. The scene was already a familiar one. Akira smiled, wiping off the counter again before washing Goro’s plate and cup and hanging up his apron once he was done.

 _Next time he comes here, I’ll try welcoming him with the welcome home line_.

They skipped to the attic, and Goro sat down on the sofa with Morgana jumping onto his lap and demanding pets while Akira sat down on the bed. The detective was smiling up until now, but the moment they disappeared from Sojiro’s eyes, his face turned more serious.

“…so. Something happened few days ago. Right after Madarame confessed.” Goro said carefully, scratching Morgana lightly under his chin as he spoke. “At work… I have been asked to join the investigation on the Phantom Thieves. I apologize for not consulting with you earlier, but I needed to give my answer as soon as possible. I chose to accept.”

Akira blinked at the detective, while Morgana bolted up onto his paws, staring at the boy in alarm. Goro smiled weakly at that, raising his hand as if he tried to calm them down like this.

“You don’t need to worry. I have no intention of leading them to the real culprits. I just thought you ought to know… chiefly because it might prove useful, and also because I will be asked about that in tomorrow’s interview. They’ve just told me to prepare an answer. This is what I’d like to discuss with you today, Akira.”

“Wait, hold up there, _useful_ how?” Morgana said, swishing his tail in the air. “More importantly, we’re being investigated by the police?!”

“Yes. Sae-san… a prosecutor I was working with on few different cases… is pursuing the case of the, erm… psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. The links to these and the _modus operandi_ of the Phantom Thieves are definitely there, and she’s not blind to them. I’m quite sure I can steer the investigation quietly away from us, though… and that is how me taking part in the investigation will be useful to the Phantom Thieves as a whole. I was suspecting they will ask me to join in for a while now; this is why I warned you before, that I might be much more busy after the Madarame case.” Goro explained, voice calm. He seemed to put Morgana at ease with that; but the boy detective’s eyes rested on Akira instead, who felt… _worried_ , actually. For many reasons, one of which was the mention of mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns in the first place.

“Will you be alright, though? If they discover you’re meddling with the investigation… or even if you simply admit you’ve lost and can’t capture the Phantom Thieves, won’t it be bad for your reputation as the ace detective?”

Goro smiled lightly at that, leaning back on the couch.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately, in fact. You know… someone once told me, _once you lose everything, you can only gain stuff_. And I’ve received so much recently… Why did I want to be famous in the first place? It’s nothing but a pain. That is, unless you will kick me out the moment I stop being the detective prince, of course.” Goro smiled a somewhat strained smile, but relaxed when Akira laughed and shook his head.

“Of course not. You always have a place here, okay? Still… I’d feel bad if you lost your job because of what we do, so let’s make super-sure we don’t leave any clues for the scary prosecutor to follow.”

“Too late for that, I’m afraid.” Goro sighed quietly. “Don’t get me wrong; the Metaverse, Palaces… all that is impossible to deduce using normal methods. For someone who didn’t experience that world, it’s an unimaginable possibility. But all the detectives need to do is tell themselves, alright, so let’s assume someone is changing people’s hearts. And then, after that leap is done, they’ll start basing on facts. They’ll go and ask which students could threaten Kamoshida. They’ll look into Madarame’s last pupil and whom he was last seen with. The facts are there for them to grab…”

“You make it sound like we’re in deep trouble already!”

“We’re not. Not yet.” Goro shook his head, smiling lightly at Morgana. “But that is why it’s imperative I’m on this team. I can now monitor the progress of the investigation. If worst comes to worst, even try and sabotage it, although I’d rather not do that. Is that okay, Akira?”

“Of course.” the raven nodded, smiling lightly while Morgana meowed in a worried tone. “I trust your judgment on this one. I’ll tell the others, so they won’t freak out. Or would you rather do it?”

“Maybe it’s better they hear it from me. Well then. About tomorrow… you do realize I can’t say the Phantom Thieves are the true justice on live TV, now that I’m part of the investigation, right?”

“Yeah… though, you don’t need to denounce us completely, right?”

“Of course. I might need to ridicule us a little bit, though.”

“I’m fine with that, but, you know…” Akira grinned lightly. “You might owe Ryuuji some ramen after that.”

 

* * *

 

“Yo, isn’t it kinda weird, sitting in the audience while Goro’s gonna get interviewed in front of us?”

Ryuuji looked to the side, and Akira nodded lightly, playing with the ends of his hair. They were sat down on their seats, him, Ann and Ryuuji, and waiting for the filming to begin. Last night, they had a rather heated group chat meeting; with Goro explaining he has been made a part of the investigation team, and that today, there will be questions about Phantom Thieves he was going to be asked. Ryuuji probably reacted the best to the information Goro was now officially investigating the group he was a part of, and the worst to the one that he’ll have to speak unflatteringly about them on TV. Akira smiled fondly, looking to the side at his friend. Sometimes, the blond really was a treasure.

“Mr. Akechi’s coming on!”

The people around them started to chatter and cheer, and the three of them leaned back on their seats, watching their friend walk forward and greet the presenters and the crowd, smiling a perfectly pleasant smile. Ann giggled quietly, and leaned in to whisper into Akira’s ear.

“He looks _so_ fake there. That’s totally not his usual smile!”

“I know, right?” Akira grinned back, before looking back at the detective. He could see Goro’s eyes searching the crowd, and when he finally spotted them, the smile softened just a tiny bit. Akira showed him a little thumbs up, and it could be just the studio’s lighting, but he could swear Goro’s lips twitched upwards; just as his heart did a little flip in his chest. Akira didn’t blame all the girls squealing; somehow, all neat and professional, Goro looked even more handsome than usual…

“Cutting back from commercial! Seven, six, five seconds till start, four, three…”

The camera rolled, and the presenter started to talk.

“And now, onto the “Hottest Meet-and-Greet” segment of our show… After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It’s the high school detective, Goro Akechi!”

“Fine gentleman, my ass.” Ryuuji laughed quietly. “You should see this guy while he’s losing at Mario Kart, lady. He swears like a freakin’ sailor.”

Akira and Ann had to cover their faces as they snorted simultaneously, earning a murderous look from Kawakami for it. Akira smiled at the teacher innocently, and her scowl deepened. They were just after her first visit to Leblanc’s attic, and as much as Akira hoped no one – not his friends, not Sojiro and _definitely_ not Goro finds out about him having a maid visit him in the evenings, it was nice to grow closer to his teacher once more.

“Hello there.” Goro smiled sweetly, and for some reason that only made the three of them giggle more, covering their faces. Akira could see Goro look at him briefly and the softest frown went through the detective’s face. The raven was almost sure he’d roll his eyes at them if he wasn’t being recorded.

“Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning.”

“Even I found it to be quite a surprise. It is a bit embarrassing, though…”

“Moving along, we’ve been told there’s a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?”

Well, that stopped them from laughing. Ryuuji straightened up and Ann sighed quietly, while Akira looked at his crush calmly, wondering how will it go this time. Will they get the painful Santa joke again..? They were, weren’t they. Goro was way too proud of this abomination of humour not to say it in this future as well.

“Ah, yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame.”

“There it is! All of this phantom thief excitement has caught your attention too, Akechi-kun! Allow me to be blunt for just a second. What do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?”

“If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist.”

“Well, that’s not so bad so far.” Ryuuji mumbled quietly, but Akira simply shook his head. He knew Goro had more to say. It was what he’ll be saying from here on that would matter.

“Ohhh, so you don’t deny the possibility that they’re real?”

“I may not seem like it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I’d have to arrest him for breaking and entering.”

Ah, there it was. The audience laughed, and the three of them simultaneously face-palmed, letting out quiet groans. Akira could swear he could see Goro stopping himself from laughing as he watched their reaction out of the corner of his eye.

“Still, I doubt these so-called Phantom Thieves are quite what they try to make us think they are. I would like to catch them just like any other criminal; but I have to say as unusual as the case is, the perpetrators do seem a bit dull.”

Well, ouch. Akira grimaced lightly, but even Ryuuji didn’t get angry at the other boy’s words. They talked about this, and as much as they all understood what Goro was doing, neither of them enjoyed it.

“Oh? How so, Akechi-kun? And are they committing crimes, if they do exist?”

“That will be for the court of law to judge.” Goro answered the question calmly, before letting out a perfectly fake laugh. “As for the dull part… The truth is, the Phantom Thieves are a group of people who claim to change the hearts of the criminals, making them confess. A noble task indeed… but I have troubles treating this group as anything other than children trying to be rockstars.” he chuckled quietly once more, before looking at the audience. “I’m quite certain that many girls and boys will soon be falling for something along the lines of… _won’t you let me steal your heart_?”

The audience laughed again, and the three of them groaned quietly once more; though Akira found himself blushing. Goro did nothing but ridicule them, just as he had said he would; and still, as he said that last line, Akira couldn’t help but think he’d definitely fall for that line if it came from the detective. He sighed lightly, leaning back on his seat. He really was hopeless with this crush, wasn’t he…?

Over on the stage, though, the show was still going on.

“Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have most radiant charisma!”

“…doesn’t that feel kinda over the top?” Ann murmured, and Akira couldn’t help but agree.

“I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don’t exist. If that were the case, I’d summarize it into a report as a school project.”

“Oh boy… he’s laying it on thick.” Morgana meowed quietly from the bag.

“Now then, let’s try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about the Phantom Thieves! First, please press your button now if you think the Phantom Thieves exist!”

“…we good pressing it?” Ryuuji murmured, and both Akira and Ann shrugged as they pressed their buttons. It’s not like the statistics mattered much… probably.

“About 30% or so? What are your thoughts, Akechi-kun?”

“I’m a bit surprised. That’s higher than I was expecting. I’d love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves actions.”

The cue had to be scheduled now that Akira thought of this. The way the presenter immediately stood up and walked through the crowd, looking for someone – and once again, just like before, setting her eyes on Akira. The raven felt himself smile as he watched Goro tilt his head curiously, a genuine half-smile tugging at his lips even as Akira watched, before he was asked the question. Beside him, he could feel Ryuuji and Ann snickering lightly; his heart sped up, and somehow, Akira was sure it had nothing to do with suddenly being put in the limelight and everything with a pair of amused, crimson eyes bearing into him.

_Oh yes, let’s talk about the Phantom Thieves, detective._

“All right, let’s try asking this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?”

Akira felt himself grin, his eyes locked with Goro’s. He didn’t even think of what to answer before he did, calm and relaxed.

“I’d date one.”

He could hear the audience roar with laughter, and could see Goro bite his lip as he tried to stop himself from laughing as well. And yet, all he could think about was that what he had said was, technically, true…

“Haha, I wasn’t expecting that.” Goro finally allowed himself to chuckle, though now Akira was sure he could see the detective blushing softly; and, ah, there it was; his hand moving up, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. Why was Goro getting flustered there?

“That’s quite a complementary statement to your previous opinion, Akechi-kun, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.” the detective chuckled. “Still… I feel that popularity or not, there is a bigger issue to consider here.”

Akira leaned back on his seat, feeling his heart slowly calm down as Goro went on about how the power the Phantom Thieves possessed – the power _they_ possessed – could be used for bad. He used much softer language than in that other future, but the message was still there; and somehow, that throwback to his déjà vu helped the raven calm down. Why did he shoot a stupid thing like that at the detective? Now he felt embarrassed for himself; and Ryuuji nudging him with his elbow and laughing at him didn’t help.

The interview ended – finally – and they were free to go when another thing Akira remembered from the future happened – and took a rather different turn from before. Ryuuji ran off to the bathroom and Ann went on ahead; and in the little window of time he was alone with Morgana, Goro made his way towards him, looking somewhat breathless and flushed, but weirdly determined.

“Thanks for your hard work.” Akira smiled at him softly, and the detective blinked and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

“…was it very bad?”

“Well, it wasn’t _enjoyable_ … but could be worse. Thanks for doing this for us.”

Goro smiled and nodded, before looking back at Akira; opening his mouth before closing it again, his face growing a tiny bit redder. Without understanding why exactly, Akira felt his heart speed up; and his own cheeks turn pink as he watched the detective wrestle with himself.

“…Goro?”

“What you’ve said.” the detective finally let out, on one breath, looking at him with the same, determined expression on face. “About, erm… dating a Phantom Thief. You… did you mean it?”

_Oh boy._

Akira swallowed, suddenly feeling his mouth go completely dry.

“Y-yeah.”

“How about me..?”

The question hung between them, Akira staring at Goro with wide eyes and parted lips, the meaning of it slowly, _painfully_ slowly penetrating his mind. The detective looked away and took a step back, his face growing even redder as a flash of embarrassment ran through his face in response to Akira’s stunned silence.

“A-ah… I mean… haha, just joking! W… what were you thinking, saying something like that on live TV… I mean…”

“Yes.”

“Huh?” Goro blinked up at him, and Akira felt his lips stretch into a smile that threatened to split his face in two. He was almost scared to breathe, he felt so happy; like someone inflated a giant balloon of joy inside of him.

“Yes. I mean, yes, if… if you’d like that, I… yes. Definitely.”

“…oh. Okay.”

Slowly, Goro started to smile as well; and gods, how could these dumb people on TV even _like_ one of his fake smiles..? They should see the genuine one; the one he showed with flushed cheeks and sweet, vulnerable, happy expression in his eyes. Akira bit his lip, before chuckling and looking away, face going properly red now.

“…well, uh… you should go. Or else you’re going to have your heart stolen on live TV.”

Goro laughed at that, shaking his head gently.

“Of _course_ you’d use that line.” he rolled his eyes before moving his hand up and gently pushing a strand of hair behind his ear again. “Though… I think I just did.” he mumbled, biting his lip. Akira closed his eyes briefly. So help him god, he was going to kiss this man any second now if this kept on any longer.

“I do need to go now, though. I’ll, um… text you later..? Right?”

“Yes. Yes, do that. Definitely.” Akira grinned, watching Goro give him one last shy smile and turn back, going back to the crew. The raven just stood there, watching after him with what had to be the dumbest happy smile stretching his face. From his bag, he could hear rustling, and then could see Morgana push his head out.

“See? Told you he was your boyfriend.”

And at that, Akira laughed; grabbing his friend and hugging him tightly as Morgana meowed in protest over being hugged and then happily twirled around.

“Ooooh, someone’s happy.” Ryuuji grinned, patting his shoulder as he finally came back, and just in time, too, because Akira was about to have his face clawed off if he wasn’t stopped from squeezing the cat. “Somethin’ good happened?”

“Something the best.” Akira nodded, grinning at his friend. Who cared about Phantom Thieves’ reputation now? Who cared about anything? Akira felt like the world could end today, and that still wouldn’t have spoiled his mood.

“Come on. Let’s go for ramen or something. My treat today.”


	15. Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Goro's relationship lasted all of three hours before they encountered their first bump; and they work their hardest to solve the issue at hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jamie-angel drew fanart for this chapter! Thank you SO MUCH! You can see their beautiful art [right here!](http://jamie-angel12.tumblr.com/post/178619667267/hhhhnhh-yall-should-read-new-game-which-is-an)

**Akira:** Sooooo

 **Akira:** Are you still at the TV station?

 **Goro:** I’m leaving soon

 **Goro:** You’ve changed our nicks?

 **Akira:** Felt appropriate (#^.^#)

 **Goro:** oh

 **Goro:** Do you want to, erm

 **Goro:** meet up?

 **Goro:** I’m just about to head to the exit now, just grabbing my things, so…

 

Akira smiled and hid the phone in his pocket, leaning his head back against the wall. The sweet, light feeling that filled him ever since the TV station was still there as he sat on the curb by the back entrance to the building, with a single scarlet rose he picked up from the flower shop on his way back from ramen laying over his lap. Was it too much? Probably. He didn’t care, though. He had a crush on Goro for how long now? A month? More? And finally, it turned out this was reciprocated, and what’s more, it was the detective himself who confessed to _him_ …

The raven expected a lot of people to get out before Goro, and was prepared for questions and weird looks. What he didn’t expect was the detective, in person, running out of the door at full speed, closing them behind himself and grumbling quietly as he listened against them, before sighing in relief. Akira watched the spectacle with a little, confused smile on his lips as he pulled himself up, gently patting Goro’s shoulder, making him jump.

“Relax, it’s just me.” Akira laughed quietly, stepping away, hiding the rose behind his back. The way Goro’s eyes softened as he looked at him made his heart beat like crazy, but Akira supposed that was something he’ll be getting used to now. He seriously couldn’t wait.

“Akira..? What are you doing here?”

“Never mind that, what were you running from just now?”

“Ah, that’s…” Goro smiled in a somewhat embarrassed way, looking back at the door before sighing and shaking his head. “…lately, whenever I have a taping, a group of girls would be waiting by the exit from the studio, trying to give me gifts and take selfies and stuff. I mean, it was nice the first two times, but the next twenty somewhat less so. I ended up running through the back today, I just wanted to avoid them…”

“Ah… I see.” Akira smiled sympathetically, before clearing his throat. “Uh, haha, that’s actually funny… you asked what I’m doing here before, right? Well, truth is, I had a delivery to make.”

“A delivery..?” Goro stared at him in confusion, only to blink and blush when Akira pulled out the rose; though the raven actually ended up looking away and blushing like crazy as he presented it to him. So much for looking cool, huh.

“It’s for you. Since, uh. It ended up being kinda awkward and all before, at the TV station. Not romantic at all, chiefly because of me being a dumbass. So. Erm.”

“Right. Though, about that…” Akira blinked; the rose remained in his hand, and Goro wasn’t reaching out to accept it; and the moment the boy detective looked away from him, avoiding his eyes, Akira felt like the balloon of joy inside of him has rapidly started to deflate.

Oh no. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong, and he had no idea what it could be…

“Erm… Akira, I… I mean…” the detective closed his eyes and took in a few deep breaths before looking at the raven apologetically again. “I… I asked you that, and… and I apologize, it was just… I got caught up in the moment. I’m just not entirely sure if it’s a good idea. For, uh… For us to be together.”

Akira blinked at the squirming detective before him, the surprise more prominent than any hurt could be at the words. He hardly registered them, they were so unexpected.

“…are you breaking up with me? After not even three hours since we technically started dating?” he asked, incredulously, biting his lip as he saw Goro blush and look away. “I mean… is it something I did? Am I… too much?”

“No!” the detective shook his head decisively, and Akira found himself frowning, completely confused. Goro looked at him with a desperate look, before sighing and shaking his head.

“It’s just… I told you before. There are… things. Things I didn’t tell you… and things I lied to you about.”

Akira sighed. _Ah. That again._ To be fair, he kind of saw Goro’s point. You’d think twice before letting someone you care about get into a relationship with you without knowing you’re a murderer… though, him understanding that didn’t mean he liked it.

“…come on. Let’s walk, or your fans will get you. Do you have a bike, or did you take the train?”

“Ah… train this time.”

“Okay.” Akira smiled lightly, starting to walk with Goro, watching as the boy kept looking at him from the side. The raven simply continued to smile lightly and reached out his hand, earning a startled look from the detective.

“But… I just told you, that’s…”

“Please?” Akira said simply, and after a moment’s hesitation, Goro looked away and took his hand, their fingers interlacing together so easily, as if they belonged like this. Akira wondered how it would feel to hold the detective’s hand while he wasn’t wearing his gloves.

They walked to the station, and rode the train in silence; though it was a strangely comfortable one, both of them slowly relaxing as they enjoyed the warmth of their linked hands. Akira made them leave the train on Shibuya station, and they started the long walk to Leblanc, Goro not questioning him until they entered the less crowded, residential areas.

“…um, I was meaning to ask, where’s Morgana?”

“I, erm… I left him at Ann’s for tonight. Since I was hoping to take you out on a date, and… y’know. Would be weird with him there all the time.”

“…oh. I see. I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t accept the breakup, you know, so you don’t have anything to apologize for. Yet.”

Goro frowned at him, and Akira replied with a smile. Finally alone on the quiet streets, they could talk at ease.

“…about what you’ve told me. I told you already that I don’t care about that. I trust you, Goro.”

“Akira, that’s different. Friendship… Companionship… that’s completely different. I can’t just… it’s not _right_ to go into a… um…”

“A relationship.” Akira smiled lightly, though he was blushing, too, as he said it. Goro looked away and nodded.

“…yes, well, it’s not right to enter one when we don’t know such important things about one another.”

“Then tell me.”

“I _can’t_.”

“Why not?”

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Akira thought he was going to hear some smartass reply; or vague explanation of why. But Goro opened his mouth and then closed it again, frowning as he actually, seriously thought about the question. Finally, he sighed and spoke quietly, eyes cast down.

“…because I’m afraid you’ll abandon me if I tell you. Because it’s dangerous to speak of it, for both of us. What’s more, it’s… extremely personal. More than anything I told you so far. It’s the kind of thing you sell your soul for.”

“Well… I won’t abandon you.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Akira.”

“Then allow me to guess.”

“…huh?” the detective stared at him in surprise, and Akira met his gaze calmly. It was risky, he knew; but he was not the leader of the Phantom Thieves because he was afraid of taking risks.

“It concerns someone. Someone important to you, in some way.”

“…what? Akira, that’s not the time to be…”

“Yes or no, Goro?”

“…yes.” the detective frowned, looking away with an annoyed look on his face. Still, that look turned into one of shock at what Akira said next.

“Then let me guess the name. Masayoshi Shido.”

Goro stopped in his tracks. He stared at Akira with eyes almost blank, he was so shocked; lips parted and body rigid. The raven willed himself to stay calm, only tilting his head lightly as he waited for Goro to come back to himself. Finally, the other boy seemed to regain his voice.

“…how… how did you… _why_ do you know this..?”

“It’s not hard to notice the guy who happened to be a dick to you at a buffet when he appears on national TV giving interviews. And it’s not hard to notice he’s important to someone you… you really care about when that person’s reaction to seeing him is going rigid with fear. I don’t know what that bastard did to you… but I know he’s important, somehow, in some way. And I know it’s like, the one very important thing you’ve never once mentioned to me. You didn’t even ask me why I shielded you back then, by that elevator; as if you were afraid of even bringing him up, as if you _knew_ I’d be asking why were you so scared of him.”

“…ha… haha…” Goro laughed weakly, looking away with a shudder. “…and I’m supposed to be the detective here..?”

“What’s more, I…” Akira sighed, looking away. “…I wasn’t sure until I really looked into this guy, but… Masayoshi Shido is also the man from back then. Whom I assaulted. With that woman.”

If Goro has been shocked before, now he has been twice as much. He stared at Akira’s serious expression, frozen in place, as if he has seen a ghost.

“… _Shido_ was the one who… are you _sure…_?” he whispered, and as Akira nodded, Goro took a step back, a slightly hysterical laughter escaping him. “ _Unbelievable._ You and I… all this time, that _bastard…_ ”

“I found out even more. I know that Masayoshi Shido has a Palace. I checked. He’s a hit.”

“…you did your digging, huh.” Goro smiled bitterly, before sighing and letting go of Akira’s hand; only to frown when the raven kept his hold even so. “…Akira. Come on.”

“No. Tell me, Goro. I won’t tell anyone else if you wish me to keep this a secret; and I won’t ever speak to you about it if you don’t want to. But… I wanted to tell you how special you are to me for _so long_ now. I’m not letting you go, not when I had just one afternoon of being happy knowing my feelings are actually reciprocated. And I’m definitely not doing that because of a guy who happened to screw me over once already.”

The detective sighed, but after a while, seemed to relent. Slowly, they started to walk again; and Goro looked away, his eyes lost in the distance as he let himself think.

“…very well. I will tell you. However, I have one condition.” the detective looked up, locking his eyes with Akira. “I want to know more about you, too. I want to know about your past. About that night. About Shido, and about your parents’ reactions to it. If I’m about to bare my soul to you, you need to do the same for me.”

“It’s a long walk to Leblanc.” Akira said simply, a soft, sad smile playing on his lips. “I don’t mind talking for the rest of it.”

And he did. He told Goro everything – everything except, of course, that whatever memories he had, they were duplicates of what had already happened once before. Akira told his friend – his boyfriend, hopefully – about his childhood; about his little town, and about how often he dreamt he could escape from the melancholic boredom of it, set out for some great adventure somewhere far, far away. He told him about the cartoons he loved to watch, about his parents, his friends, his first crush, his bullies. He told him, finally, about the night when, coming back from the cram school, he saw Masayoshi Shido about to assault a woman; about his arrest, and the woman’s coerced statement. About Shido’s name being kept out of this, about his trial, about coming home to his mother’s yells and his father’s silent disapproval. About all of his former friends cutting ties with him, about the weeks before coming to Tokyo he spent coming home to silence and his parents’ disinterest in whatever was going to happen to him here. By the end of it, they were already entering the Yongen-Jaya neighbourhood; and though Goro was silent throughout his monologue, letting him talk, his hand tightened its hold on Akira’s own, giving him more comfort than such a small gesture should be capable of giving.

It _was_ rather cathartic, to talk it all out like this. Last time; whether to one of his friends or confidants, Akira never spoke this much about what happened to him. He never let himself acknowledge how much it hurt him; how betrayed he felt by all of it, how unfair, how unjust it all was. He wished, by the end of it, that he could keep talking. That he could tell Goro about the _agony_ of coming back to Leblanc after infiltrating Shido’s Palace, with his dying screams ringing in his ears, with the bangs of the guns echoing through his skull. He wished he could talk about the misery of seeing his friends disappearing around him; of being tempted, of fighting for the world that broke him so many times, and about the sheer injustice of, once he was done saving the world, being asked to sacrifice himself yet again. Of the days and days he spent in the solitary confinement, with voices of past battles echoing in his head, waking up in cold sweat from nightmarish dreams of the Metaverse with no one to talk to, no one to help.

Perhaps, one day, he will be able to say it all. Perhaps one day, he will not be terrified that giving Goro the full truth will ruin whatever chance of rehabilitation the boy beside him had. Until then, he will wait; and continue to support him, and be happy for moments of relief such as this one.

Finally, once Akira was done, Goro sighed softly and looked up. It was his turn to talk, and he didn’t require the raven to remind him about it.

“…I have told you this already, didn’t I? I never knew my father.” he said finally, and Akira nodded quietly. “The truth is, I was an accident; an unwanted child. My mother was very young, naïve, and courted by this politician. One night, he got drunk and tired of waiting for her; and nine months later, I was born. A child of rape and scandal, from the start…” Goro smiled bitterly, biting his lip when he felt Akira tighten his hold on his hand in turn.

“My mother killed herself eventually, unable to live with me to remind her constantly of what happened. Her family disowned her the moment I was born, and though I did land at my grandparents’ at first, I was quickly thrown into foster care, where I spent the remainder of my pitiful childhood. Once the time approached that I’d have to start fending for myself, I arrived in Tokyo, wanting to find my father… and wanting to have my revenge on him. But, he was already an influential politician then; and I was a boy with no family, no money and no connections. That’s… when I discovered the Metaverse.”  Goro hesitated, and looked back at Akira, biting his lip. His eyes had this pleading, almost desperate look in them, and the raven found himself unable to look away. Without thinking, he stopped again, pulling the other boy against himself; feeling Goro tremble and then laugh shakily against his chest.

“…what are you doing..? Even knowing all that… why aren’t you pushing me away?”

“What bastard _would_ push you away at a moment like this, Goro?” Akira responded with a question of his own, tightening his hold. He felt a gentle push and relented, allowing the other boy his space; though Goro never tugged his hand away from his hold, even then.

“…there’s more. I… you’ve figured it out already, right? Whom I’m talking about.”

“Yes. Masayoshi Shido is your father, isn’t he.”

Goro grimaced and looked like he was about to spit, but stopped himself, only nodding.

“He had his Palace for years now. I tried to get into it, right after I discovered the Meta-Nav on my phone. This is the story you know already; of Loki awakening within me. I knew I was too weak, and too insignificant to this man for me to have a chance at his Palace… so I went to him. I offered my services to him. I did… many things. _Bad_ things. Akira… back then, I… I had no one. No friends to tell me I’m not going insane, no Morgana to guide me and show me how things worked. Shido… he knew about the Metaverse already, from a research he was involved with. He told me what to do… and whatever he asked of me, I did. Why… why shouldn’t I? I had the power, for the first time in my life, to enact my revenge, and I made a plan to enact it. My whole life since then, my every action, everything I did was solely for this reason. This was all I ever wanted. I didn’t care about fame, about nothing, really. I didn’t care what happened to me afterwards, as long as I could personally throw him into hell first. Right now… I’m so close, Akira. I’m finally so close; he’s almost within my grasp. But…”

The detective sighed and shook his head, looking up at Akira with hard, conflicted expression.

“But then I bumped into you, and… and you’ve just _changed_ everything. I thought… at first, I thought I could use you. Guide you to be my companion in the Metaverse; if you were any strong, I wanted to get you to go with me, help me go through all the traps and guards Shido erected around his heart. But then… suddenly, we were charging into this other Palace, and there were people; actual people I could… I could _save_ , for once. And then Kamoshida had a change of heart… and you and Ann and Ryuuji and Morgana were all treating me as some sort of a hero… as one of _you_. And then… I… you…” the boy shook his head, hiding his face in his hand.

“I don’t know what to do anymore, Akira. You _broke_ me, made me have doubts of that which I until now never questioned. I want revenge, yes, but _why?_ What will it give me..? What… what will happen _afterwards_..? I never even _thought_ about all this! And now… It’s so hard to keep fulfilling Shido’s orders. And it’s like I told you. No matter what I do, it’s never good enough; meanwhile… you… all of you… you _don’t need me_ to do anything. You just… And… _you_ , most of all…”

Akira listened to Goro’s monologue, eyes wide and his mind in a state of shock. He… didn’t expect this. He didn’t expect to be trusted this much, this easily. He didn’t expect Goro to be this honest. And he didn’t expect him to ask for help; even if indirectly, even if only in the desperate tone of his voice and the look in his eyes. Akira took in a shaky breath and looked at the other boy, searching his eyes.

“…what do _you_ want to do..?”

“… _be a good person_ … Is what I’m supposed to say here, huh.” Goro smiled that bitter smile again, before looking hard at Akira.  

“What if I told you that despite all this… despite all my doubts… one day, what I’d want to do most of all is still to _kill_ my father..? Or at least make him suffer, even more than Kamoshida or Madarame did while confessing their crimes..? What if I told you that no matter what, no matter if I consider you my friends or not, I’m only with our group to see my own plans come to pass? That all I want is truly just to exact my revenge?”

“If you told me that… then I’d go with you, anyway.” Akira said simply. “You don’t need to use me, or manipulate me. If this is what you told me you want, I’d help you steal his heart. And at the end, if this was truly your decision… I’d let you decide whether you want to kill him or not. I would beg you not to, but I would give you the choice. You deserve to decide what you want to do with him.”

“…you’re telling the truth.”

“Of course I am.”

“…why would you go this far for me?”

Akira smiled lightly; it was a sad smile, but a soft and caring one, too.

“You know why.” he said softly; and when Goro blushed and looked away, Akira looked up at the sky and continued, listing his reasons anyway.

“Because you’re my friend; the only one like yourself in the world. Because you’d do the same for me, and more. Because you’ve told me once that seeing blood on your hands scarred you for life… and I don’t plan on letting you see it there ever again. And because I fell for you, and I want to be with you, more than anything else in the world. If this is what’s holding you down… what’s making you unhappy… of course I’m going to help.”

Goro shook his head lightly; and as Akira watched him, he started to laugh; a quiet, hysteric laughter that quickly turned to something that felt more like choked-back sobs. Akira could scarcely do more than squeeze Goro’s hand lightly and try to comfort him the best he could, even as the other boy finally calmed down a bit, looking at him with a pained expression on his face.

“…it’s funny, you know? You’re so incomprehensible to me. I don’t understand you, you just keep doing the exact opposite of what I’m expecting. When I went to Leblanc that day, before the anniversary, and told you about my mother… I never do that, I never talk about myself to strangers. But, at the time, I felt like I had to get it off my chest, and friendships be damned. I didn’t need friends anyway, or so I thought. But you felt for me. Comforted me. I was a bastard child that caused his mother’s death, and…”

“Goro, your mother’s death was not your fault.” Akira interjected seriously. “Don’t ever think that way…”

“…and you comforted me and made me feel better, instead of throwing me away.” Goro turned to look at him, with a soft, sad smile on his lips that perfectly matched the expression in his eyes. “That was when I started to get scared… scared that I found someone I might have a chance with, finally, but that they will just leave me, like everyone else. And just as I thought that, new people appeared; Ann and Ryuuji, even Morgana… I was terrified. I wanted to break the connection we had so that it wouldn’t hurt me anymore; and yet you refused to be thrown away. You quite literally forced yourself right back. I had a very hard time not trusting you then, Akira… and at the same time, I was still so scared. That perhaps you’ve gone through all this trouble and accepted all that I thought was unacceptable… and yet that if you knew the full truth, you’d abandon me anyway. And then, today, I was just so giddy and happy and when you said you’d date a Phantom Thief; in that context, to me, of all people… I had a crush on you for so long. I just couldn’t resist asking you; it felt like one last chance for me. And you accepted me, and now I was _sure_ that the moment you knew about me… about what I’ve done… about whose son I am…”

“I know about all that now.” Akira said quietly, and Goro looked back over at him. “And I still want to be with you. I want to help you. And… I want to make you happy. It’s not too late, Goro. You know it’s not.”

He could feel Goro’s hold tighten on his hand; it was almost painful, and yet Akira didn’t let go. He looked at the boy; uncertain, but given a chance to be free, to make a decision for himself for the first time in his life; and clawing and grasping at that chance, unwilling to let it go, however feeble it was.

“Will you promise me?” he heard Goro whisper, and felt himself nod. “That one day… not now, you need to trust me that we can’t do it now… that one day we will do it, together?”

“Steal Shido’s heart?”

“Yes.”

“I promise, on one condition.”

Goro looked at him seriously, and then slowly nodded, asking him to speak.

“That we do it together, and only together. Not just myself; all of the Phantom Thieves who will volunteer to do so. That you will not act on your own.”

“…that’s…” Goro hesitated, before smiling lightly. They were still holding hands, still clasped on one another tightly; and it was on their linked hands that the detective trained his eyes as he spoke.

“I always wanted to do this alone. To be the one responsible for his downfall; to be the one who personally threw him into hell for what he did to us. But… the truth is, I’m weak. I tried to pretend I’m not for the longest time, but… you’ve made me see. I’m just like Yusuke, averting my eyes from the truth; weak, and foolish, and easily manipulated. You’ve shown me what it means to be free, just as Ann has shown me what it means to feel courage and Ryuuji what it meant to work together, with people loyal to you. Working with you… I realized that I was nothing more than a puppet, up until now. And I don’t want to be that anymore. I don’t want to end up a distorted painting of myself, without the power to do anything, like Yusuke was in Madarame’s cognition… or something worse than that, knowing Shido.”

The image of cognitive Akechi from the other future briefly flashed through Akira’s mind, and he felt himself shudder. Ah… alright. That… yes. He did not want _that_ to appear again.

“So, do you accept?”

“I do.” Goro looked up into his eyes, and smiled; and the smile was light and genuine as the boy detective started to laugh once more.

“I can’t believe it. Here I went and said it. And… and you’re still here. And I… god, this feels… I’m so _light_. I never felt like this, never in my entire life.”

Akira felt his eyes soften; and he brushed his thumb over Goro’s hand, feeling short of breath. The shock of being told all that; of Goro trusting him, revealing his secrets to him, taking such a gamble because he _trusted_ him this much… he almost couldn’t believe it. No, Goro was no puppet anymore. Him and cognitive Akechi never looked less alike.

All of a sudden, the feeling that, despite everything, he was winning; that everything was going to be alright overwhelmed the raven, washing over him like some huge wave of relief.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“It does.”

“I’m glad.” Akira smiled again, before sighing as he looked up at the sky. “So… about Shido. What do we do? What plan do you have?”

Goro bit his lip, before sighing and shaking his head, looking up as well.

“Honestly, right now..? I have no idea. It’s a completely new round starting. I’m afraid, to be honest. Shido… he’s powerful. And I’m at a point of no return with him. He’s already taking interest in the Phantom Thieves. To tell you the truth… many times, when I said I was working in the evening… it was meetings with him I had to go to. He’s forming a plan, even now; I can’t be sure what it will be exactly, not yet, he doesn’t trust me enough… but I can tell it won’t be anything good. For now, he doesn’t ask me to do… anything _too_ bad. Nothing I could be _really_ ashamed of. He told me I should lay low for now; I could probably keep up the pretence, pretend I still do his bidding while I buy some time for us, thanks to that. Until I know exactly what his plans are, though… If you truly, _really_ want to help me… I’ll need you to trust me. I’m sorry for that, but…”

“Goro.” Akira said quietly, smiling. “I trust you. Just tell me what to do.”

The detective stared at him again, before smiling back as he looked away.

“…wait. We need to wait, and get stronger. A lot stronger… Oh, and… I know it’s a lot to ask, but just for a bit more, I’ll need all we talked about today to stay between the two of us.”

“Agreed, but with one exception.”

The detective blinked, looking at him in alarm; and Akira had to laugh at that look.

“I gotta be allowed to boast to everyone I know that I’m now dating the Detective Prince himself.”

Goro stared at him for the longest time after that, before finally starting to laugh. Akira couldn’t help but grin as well as the detective looked at him with wonder in his eyes.

“…you still want to do it? Even now?”

“Now more than ever.” Akira chuckled, finally letting go of Goro’s hand, only to go down on one knee before him – right there, in the middle of the street, in a quiet residential area in Yongen-Jaya’s neighbourhood. Goro turned completely red, and Akira did, too, but he didn’t care as he raised the slightly wilted rose and smiled up at the other with the sweetest smile.

“So, will you be my boyfriend, Goro? Please?”

And perhaps it was just another miracle this evening; but this time, Goro smiled and took the rose from his hand, pressing a sweet, little kiss to the flower before smiling down at him.

"If you'll have me, then... yes, I will be your boyfriend, Akira Kurusu."


	16. Dating for Dummies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro and Akira decide to make a rather peculiar schedule for themselves; and the Phantom Thieves celebrate the new addition to their group.

They entered Leblanc hand in hand again; though Goro slipped his hand out of Akira’s the moment Sojiro looked at them, brow raised as he watched their blushing cheeks and the rose in Goro’s hand. The older man sighed and shook his head, before pointing to one of the booths in the otherwise empty café.

“You two, sit down. I need a word with you.”

Akira and Goro shared a somewhat nervous look, before doing what Sojiro had said, sitting side by side. As they waited for Boss to join them, Akira smirked and sneaked his hand over Goro’s again, earning a rather exasperated, if soft look.

“…you’re going to keep doing that for the rest of time now?”

“Aw, isn’t it a bit early for you to be proposing to me, Goro?”

The detective scowled and smacked him over the head as Akira laughed. They both calmed down when Boss walked to their table, setting cups of coffee in front of them before sitting opposite himself.

“…so. You two are together, huh. I had a feeling for a while…”

Akira sighed, patting Goro’s back as he choked on coffee a bit. If the detective was going to keep choking on things every time he got flustered, they were in for a lot of trouble along the way.

“…um.” he himself said, rubbing the back of his neck lightly. “Is… Is that a problem, Boss?”

“…not really.” the older man frowned and shook his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, too. “I mean… I realize this is a new age and you young people are trying out different things. I don’t see anything wrong about that.” he coughed awkwardly, while Akira gave him a little, weak smile. Well… this was kind of a strange situation. He almost wished Futaba was here, so he could joke about Sojiro at least not having to worry about him snatching her away.

“…thanks, Boss..? I guess?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want anything _going on_ on my attic, alright? You two are still just kids, so focus on school, okay?”

Akira blinked at that, before turning cherry-red; and Goro hid his face in his hands at this point.

“H-hey! We started dating today, literally! We haven’t even kissed, why would you…”

“Alright, alright!” Sojiro raised his hands defensively, before groaning and rubbing his neck. “All I mean is, take it slow and easy, alright?”

“…sure, Boss.”

“And… I’m just gonna trust you to be responsible here, so… you can stay late sometimes, kid. I know how young love is, believe it or not, so I don’t have a problem if you two want to be together after curfew a bit. No overnight stays though, are we clear?”

“Y-yes, Boss.” Goro mumbled, and Akira grinned, leaning against him.

“I’ll make sure to limit overnight stays to _me_ staying at _his_ place.” he said, and this was how he got smacked over the head again, which was apparently hilarious, because Boss laughed for good few minutes at the two of them.

They were excused after that, and Akira smiled as he invited Goro up to his room, grabbing a tall glass of water for the rose before skipping up the stairs and sitting on the couch, his smile brightening when the detective sat down – somewhat stiffly – beside him, their sides touching. The rose has been put gently into the water, and Akira hoped this will be enough for it to turn pretty again.

“So… um.” Goro murmured, tilting his head a bit forward, his bangs hiding his glowing cheeks. “What… what do we do now?”

“…huh? What do you mean?”

“I’m… well. I’m not very good at dating.” The detective confessed, playing with his gloved fingers. “I mean… I don’t know how good I am! I just… never tried.”

“Seriously? Never?”

“I just told you my backstory. Did it sound like I had time for dating at any point of my life?”

“…no, I guess not.” Akira smiled sheepishly, before leaning in, bumping their sides together lightly. That made Goro smile a bit.

“So… I’m guessing you’re more experienced.”

“Uh… I wouldn’t call it that.” Akira laughed quietly, in a rather embarrassed way, and sighed when that made Goro look at him curiously.

“Look, there… basically, during my first year of high school, this girl confessed to me. I never had a girl be interested in me before, I was always this lanky guy with nerdy glasses and unruly hair that was just way too average… anyway, she confessed, and I accepted it kind of on reflex. I know, it sounds terrible… we went on a couple of dates, but she soon realized I wasn’t as interested as she was… and we broke it off. It was barely ever a thing, anyway. I do feel bad for how it ended, though…”

“Oh… Erm. I’m sorry?”

“No need to.” Akira smiled lightly. “She was a nice girl, but as I said, I was never really into her. I wish I had the guts to just refuse her straight away back then. I ended up being a prick.”

“So… you like girls too, then.”

Akira nodded with a little smile, leaning back on the couch.

“It really doesn’t matter to me. If I like someone a lot, their gender just isn’t important, you know? And I thought you were super handsome ever since I first saw you.” the raven giggled, pretending he didn’t see Goro blush. “I’ll tell you a funny story about it in a moment, but first… I take it it’s just guys for you?”

“Ah… I wonder about that.” Goro murmured, letting out a little cough. “I just have very little experience, and, you know… it doesn’t help that majority of girls I meet squeal and try to chase after me. You’re… probably the first person I was ever interested in like that, though. Well… um… alright, not the first. But, you said you had a story. So tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine, okay?”

“Sounds good.” Akira grinned, before looking at the ceiling. “So, you know how I first found out I’m actually really into guys as well as girls?”

“…how?”

“We went to the movie theatre, in my hometown. I had to be like 12 or 13… puberty started hitting me hard and all. And I _really_ liked one of the characters in that movie. A guy. Not even the actor, just that character… I really loved how he looked and his story and I kept kind of… you know, having these long, elaborate fantasies of how maybe this fictional character would somehow appear in our world and I’d get to befriend him and maybe more than that.” Akira giggled, rubbing his cheeks as he felt himself flush again.

“That’s rather sweet.” Goro laughed with him, before tilting his head. “But why did you say it was a funny story?”

“Well, because the movie was _Thor_ , and the character I had hots for was Loki.” Akira laughed, nudging Goro’s side. “Guess I have a type, no?”

The detective snorted, shaking his head.

“So _that’s_ why you were so knowledgeable about Norse myths. Child’s interest, my ass.”

“Hey, I could hardly tell you on one of our first meetings that I know your Persona’s story because I had hots for it when I was in middle school, could I.”

“That’s fair, I guess.”

“For the record, I like the handsome actor version of Loki. He’s cuter than the humanoid zebra thingie I saw at Kamoshida’s Palace.”

“Oh? Am I a downgrade from you _fantasies_ , then?”

“Hey, I said the actor was cuter than the zebra. You’re cuter than the actor, though.” Akira grinned and Goro shook his head at him with a little smile, before relaxing back on the couch as well.

“Okay, so my story… there was actually one other person I liked before you. A caretaker in my… fourth foster home, I guess? He was several years older than me, but still young; and he had this calming presence about him, kind of like you do. He was a nice person; now I think about it, he probably knew I had a crush on him, since he very gently shot me down the moment I started getting too obvious. He was one of the nicer adults in my life, still.”

“Sounds like a bittersweet memory.”

“More sweet than bitter, really. I can’t believe I actually have the cute-first-crush story, with no bad memories attached.”

“I’m actually glad you do.” Akira smiled softly, turning a bit, so that he was facing Goro more than just sitting next to him.

“Mhm, I’m more glad I have a sweet second crush story now.” the detective hummed, and Akira found himself grinning in response. They looked at each other in happy silence for a while, before Goro started to giggle.

“Okay, no, _what do we do_..? What are you supposed to do when you’re dating someone?”

“I… have no idea. I mean, go on dates I guess..? Talk?”

“Hm…” Goro rubbed his chin, looking hilariously like his detective self, ready to solve some major problem. “…how about we write a list..?”

A list. A freaking list. Well, that was romantic… though, actually, now that Akira thought about it, maybe it was. In a weird… _them_ … way.

“Okay.” he nodded decisively and stood up, sitting by his workbench and pulling out a clear sheet of paper while Goro stood up and leaned over his shoulder. Akira could feel his warmth right behind his back, and all of a sudden it was that much harder to concentrate.

“It could be like… a list of steps we want to achieve.” the detective hummed thoughtfully. “What would you like to be the first one?”

“How about _hand-holding_?” Akira asked, tilting his head back, and grinning as Goro smiled softly down at him.

“We did that already, though.”

“Through a glove. Doesn’t count.”

“Alright.” Goro laughed quietly. “Bare-hands hand holding. Next?”

“Telling all our friends?”

“You just want to brag, don’t you.”

“Well, you’re something to brag about.” Akira winked, and by the soft, pink tinge appearing on Goro’s cheeks he knew he hit the other’s weak spot with it. The raven grinned and wrote it down, while Goro cleared his throat and gathered himself up.

“Very well, I’ll allow it. What should be step three..?”

“Well, it’s your turn to pick something, isn’t it?”

“Then… a proper date. Let’s make it two steps. One with you taking me out, and the other with me taking you out.”

“That’s two evenings I need to get rid of Morgana, huh. Alright. I’m doing this for you.” Akira chuckled, writing the two additional steps down. “Who goes first?”

“Well, you’re the more experienced one when it comes to dating, so… I think you should go first. So I have some reference.”

Akira rolled his eyes at that, but dutifully wrote it down, too. They stared at the four steps, thinking hard on the fifth one. Goro cleared his throat lightly.

“I… erm. I suppose… it’s normal to, um. Think of… _kissing_ … after two dates..?”

He tried to sound nonchalant, Akira knew he did, but he was _really_ bad at it, and somehow it was both endearing and hilarious… and he’d probably laugh if he wasn’t blushing all the way up to the roots of his hair at the moment, himself. Wordlessly, the raven wrote step five: kissing.

 “And the sixth…” Akira hummed, smiling to himself. “How about a sleepover..? I don’t mean anything weird! Just, you know. Maybe some movie or games marathon, and, uh…”

“Like, making breakfast together in the morning?” Goro murmured, and all of a sudden Akira wished he had him sit beside himself, because the other boy’s voice was so dreamy the raven felt betrayed for not being able to see his face while he said that.

“Yeah, stuff like that.”

“I like it. _Sixth: sleepover_ it is.”

“Anything else to add? A Mementos date?” Akira grinned, only to feel Goro snort behind himself again.

“Yeah, so we can get killed by the Reaper. No, thank you. Although… It _is_ June now… Tanabata will be in a month. How about we go to the festival together? We could both wear yukatas and all…”

“ _Seventh: tanabata_ … even the number fits. Though, I don’t have a yukata.”

“It’s fine, there are always rentals. We’ll get you one. Oh, speaking of which, I have a… kind of step along the tanabata one. Let’s get a matching pair of something.” Goro grinned, and Akira had to smile, seeing how excited he was. “Like… like phone accessories or keychains or necklaces… something we could both wear at all times.”

“I like that.” Akira nodded, writing it down, before frowning at the list. “Though… I kind of want something like that before the month ends. How about we put it before the sleepover? We can get something for one another after…

_Step five: kissing_

Akira blushed and bit his lip.

“Hm… but then tanabata will be number eight. I don’t like us missing such a perfect number assignment in this way.” Goro hummed, and from his tone Akira couldn’t decide whether the detective was flustered as well or not at all.

“…how about we switch it with sleepover, then? Sleepover as step eight, matching pair of something as step six. Looks good?”

“Looks perfect.” the detective beamed. “Now that I have the framework, I can definitely work out the details on my own. This was a really great idea.”

“You know, you don’t need to treat it as an assignment you need to get a perfect score from.” Akira laughed, only for Goro to raise his eyebrow playfully at him.

“What do you mean, I don’t? I told you already… I’m not good at making friends, so I do my best not to screw up the friendships I have. That goes double for dating, at least.”

 

* * *

 

 **Skull:** Okay people, we need that target

 **Crow:**???

 **Crow:** Why all of a sudden?

 **Crow:** And more importantly, stop texting in class!

 **Joker:** Pure unadulterated spite would be my guess

 **Panther:** don’t say it like that! It just sounds creepy

 **Crow:** Can someone tell me what happened?

 **Fox:** I’d like to know, too.

 **Skull:** prissy miss president happened

 **Crow:** Skull I know you’re trying to explain but you’re really not helping

 **Joker:** Miss Council President, Makoto Niijima, is snooping on us

 **Joker:** And… we may or may not have gotten into a little argument about justice with her today

 **Joker:** it was basically about Kamoshida… she said something about what a great teacher he was up until his change of heart

 **Joker:** and we kind of lost our cool after that

 **Crow:** …

 **Joker:** Ann did it

 **Panther:** Hey!

 **Skull:** …man he’s not sayin anything and that’s somehow even more scary

 **Panther:** Uh… I’m sorry…?

 **Crow:** How did you people even function without me there to babysit you all?

 **Crow:** You don’t go arguing with people investigating you!

 **Crow:** You just don’t!

 **Crow:** She baited you and you fell for the oldest trick in the book!

 **Joker:** …to be fair, we did /not/ function before you appeared

 **Skull:** …true that

 **Panther:** yep

 **Fox:** Crow is one of the founding members of our group, after all

 **Crow:** THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE

 **Fox:** This is not the conversation we should be having over the chat, at any rate

 **Fox:** Would it be okay to meet today in Shibuya?

 **Fox:** I will be waiting for all of you on the station square

 

Akira sighed and hid the phone in his pocket, turning his attention back to class. Before him, Ann was fidgeting on her seat; and wherever they were, Goro, Yusuke and Ryuuji were probably nervous as well.

“Jeez… he does have a point, you know. I’m glad we’re all fired up, but that Niijima girl looks really problematic.” Morgana whispered up at him, timing it up so that he wouldn’t be heard. Akira was positive at least half of the school knew he was bringing the cat to class by now; he didn’t understand why did they keep quiet about this, though. Morgana couldn’t be _that_ stealthy not to ever pull any attention to himself… could he?

Still, the raven couldn’t help but agree with him. No matter how much he loved Makoto, and was happy to have her on their team, Akira had to admit she started off as a major pain in their collective asses. The raven smiled lightly and rested his chin on his hand, listening idly to the murmurs around him and the teacher’s lecture, letting his mind wander. He was just about to slip into the world of daydream when his phone buzzed again in his pocket, pulling him back from his thoughts.

 

 **Goro:** Tell me exactly what the hell happened with that girl

 **Akira:** What happened to we’re in class rn?

 **Goro:** are you trying to piss me off here?

 **Akira:** Geez, you’re so romantic over text

 **Goro:** I’m worried is what I am

 **Goro:** Is she suspecting you?

 **Goro:** Following you?

 **Goro:** Also are you sure it’s Makoto Niijima we’re talking about..?

 **Akira:** Yes it’s Makoto Niijima and yes she’s following me

 **Akira:** she’s very bad at being sneaky about it tho

 **Akira:** Still it’s not like she can get any proof on us

 **Akira:** So it’s fine

 **Goro:** It’s very much not fine!

 **Goro:** listen Sae Niijima is a prosecutor. One I’m working with on the PT case

 **Goro:** Makoto Niijima is her little sister

 **Akira:** …oh

 **Goro:** THAT’S all you have to say?

 **Akira:** It’ll be ok?

 **Goro:** I take it back, I was fine with the “oh”

 **Akira:** well it’s not like we can do anything about her atm right?

 **Goro:** …

 **Akira:** no sighing at me, detective

 **Goro:** I wish you didn’t get yourself in trouble every time I looked away

 **Akira:** Then just never look away from me (￣ω￣)

 **Goro:** Are you flirting with me

 **Goro:** over text

 **Goro:** You walking cliché

 **Goro:** plus I’m trying to be angry at you here

 **Akira:** well if you have to ask then I’m obviously not being cliché enough

 **Akira:** and you can’t be angry at me I’m adorable

 **Akira:** more importantly, wanna stop by Leblanc in the evening?

 **Goro:** …maybe

 **Akira:** Did I ever mention you look pretty when you blush?

 **Goro:** I’m not blushing!

 **Akira:** Right.

 **Akira:** I know you are and that’s cute

 **Goro:** All your evidence is circumstantial

 **Akira:** see you after school, detective ♥

 

* * *

 

Goro got more excited about the idea of them having a hot pot party together than about him and Akira dating, and the raven didn’t know whether to feel salty about this or find it endearing.

They met at the station square, as previously agreed, and the conversation went pretty much just as Akira had remembered it go. Admittedly, the bad comments Phan-Site was being flooded with were more mocking than downright calling them criminals now, but the effect it had on their group was almost the same. As was the fact Yusuke decided to move out from his dorms and into Ann’s house, only to be rejected and have Mona offer him Leblanc as a place to stay in. Akira was about to agree to it, too, before Goro spoke up – citing the shabbiness of the attic and lack of even one proper bed there as arguments against, and offering Yusuke his own place for the time being, until he finds his own house, at least.

“It’s too big for me anyway, and the landlady keeps telling me to bring more friends over.”

“Aww, should we come visit again then, Gocchan?”

“Akira, I swear to god, I’m going to murder you.”

They ended up going with them, and after Yusuke left his things at Goro’s place, Ann started to talk about how she always wanted to see Leblanc, anyway; and there they all went, with Goro and the girl leading the way, talking excitedly about what they were going to do for the welcome party with Yusuke. It ended up being hot pot again, and Goro proved to be a little overexcited there for a moment, coming back from their shopping trip with enough ingredients for three hotpots, not just one.

“Well, it’s not like it’ll go to waste, will it?” the detective just shrugged, before starting on helping Ann with cutting up the vegetables for the dish.

It felt almost homely, really, how as the hot pot bubbled and cooked, Ann sat down with Morgana on her lap, petting him while checking the dish once in a while; how Ryuuji picked up some manga magazine and started reading it, while Goro and Yusuke discussed their new living arrangements, and the rules Goro’s landlady set for the place. Akira was content to just sit back and watch them; before taking out his phone.

“Come on, smile, everyone! I need a picture of this.”

This turned into quite a selfie session; enough so that they had to intervene not to let their meal burn, and chuckled to one another as the noodles almost broke in their chopsticks from being overcooked. It was still really good though; and the companionship and chuckles and banter while eating was even better.

Akira knew that then, after they were done and Ann fell onto the couch and fell asleep on them, it will be time for Yusuke to ask for their backstories, and he complied in telling his own; although he skipped the fact he knew the name of the man he had technically assaulted. As he spoke, Akira felt himself smile in the weirdest moment when he felt Goro’s hand covering his own under the table, to Morgana’s exasperated meow. Ryuuji shared his own story, and then, it was Goro’s turn…

“…haha…” the detective chuckled awkwardly when they all looked at him, before turning his gaze away. “…why did I join..? Well… chiefly because of _this_ guy.” he nodded at Akira, who shook his head lightly at him, making Goro sigh. “It is the truth. I didn’t feel like letting you and Ryuuji go and die off by yourselves. But… I suppose the reason why I fight is… because of sickening human beings.”

Akira felt a shudder run down his spine at the words; and the tone they were spoken in. He felt his own hand squeeze Goro’s this time, and the detective smiled lightly, continuing to talk.

“My contempt for one such person drives my sense of justice. It isn’t some grand reason like society’s sake or some lofty ideal. It’s simply an absurd grudge… and extremely personal.”

“Grudge against whom? If you don’t mind me prying a bit further into your argument?” Yusuke asked, tilting his head. Akira saw Goro’s shoulders tense up, but then relax as he leaned his head down, and let his bangs cover his eyes.

“…my father.”

Akira felt Goro’s hand squeeze his almost painfully, before the detective let go, moving it up and rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was clear he did not wish to speak any more about the matter, and though the silence that fell afterwards was a bit awkward, neither Yusuke, Ryuuji nor Morgana tried to ask him any more questions. Though, they were not content in simply sitting there in silence, either.

“…that… I can very well understand.” Yusuke said quietly, and Ryuuji leaned back on his chair, looking over at Goro.

“Yeah. It’s like some damn shitty dads club over here, ain’t it?” he laughed, with no humour in his laugh. “Still… we got you, man. You’re not alone with this shit anymore. None of us are.”

Goro’s eyes widened lightly as he looked at the blond; and then looked away, his expression unreadable; not because he tried to hide his emotion, but because there were just too many there to differentiate between. They were saved from the awkwardness, thankfully, by Ann waking up; and then, after a little bit more chatting, by Yusuke, inquiring about the bathhouse he spotted on the other side of the street. And, somehow, however heavy the topic of their conversation has been up until this point, Akira felt himself die a little inside when he realized that oh god, oh _god_ , Goro can’t go home without Yusuke, he himself would be weird not to go to the bathhouse with all of them, and that they were yet to hold hands without gloves; getting naked in front of one another was _definitely_ at least eight steps ahead of schedule…

“Oh, a bathhouse? That sounds great! I wanna come too!”

Akira looked at Goro, and saw the detective staring from Yusuke to Ryuuji, his lips parted and cheeks gradually growing pinker as he realized all this himself. Goro’s voice was weak as he cleared his throat after a moment, shifting awkwardly on his seat.

“I-I suppose this could be fun…”

 _Oh boy_ , Akira thought, forcing himself to smile. This… will definitely be _interesting…_


	17. Busted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an evening in the bathhouse, the Phantom Thieves meet up to discuss their next target - only, someone is already all too happy to set one for them.

The bathhouse was an old one; hidden in the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya and empty, even on days with good weather. Four teenagers marching inside all at once were a rare sight; and Akira wished they weren’t, because right now, he really didn’t need any more eyes on them.

It felt… strange. Undressing before strangers at the bathhouse wasn’t something he ever felt shy or even thought about. In that other future, he didn’t feel any different about undressing in front of Yusuke and Ryuuji when they went there together, either. This was normal; and taking a bath together held no sexual, or even sensual implication. With Goro, however, and especially since they were officially dating now, even if they haven’t completed even one damn step from their list…

This was different.

For what it was worth, Goro seemed to feel the same way. The detective was just as shy and fidgety as Akira was, even as they just went in and paid their entry fees. He undressed quickly, towel wrapped around his hips, and sat down, gathering his hair into a ponytail, obviously not feeling like having them dip in the water. Akira tried hard not to stare; it was difficult not to, though. He thought it before already, in the locker room of the climbing club, but… damn, Goro was absolutely _gorgeous_.

Akira himself changed slower, wishing the detective would leave before he undressed completely, and simultaneously feeling stupid for being this shy. He wasn’t as nicely shaped as Goro was, though it’s not like he didn’t have any muscle, either – the double life he led as the Phantom Thief took care of that. Still, Akira wished he could look nicer for his boyfriend; and it was very easy to feel shy when Goro happened to look like one of these Greek sculptures Yusuke gushed about every time they went to a museum together back in the other future.

As if reacting to his turmoil, Goro stood up faster than the rest of them, murmuring something about going on ahead; Akira saw him move towards the showers through the glass door separating the locker room from the baths. He smiled lightly to himself and looked away, finishing changing quickly, idly chatting with Yusuke and Ryuuji while he did.

“…as I mentioned, the apartment is very much agreeable. I am lucky Goro offered I could stay there. I only wish the ridiculous rule forbidding us from putting anything on or in the walls was not in place.” Akira tilted his head, only now realizing Yusuke was talking about the apartment he was to share with Goro from now on.

“Really? Nothing?”

“Well, I suppose the landlady would have been more forgiving about things like posters and such… but Goro has warned me from the start that it would be impossible to hang Sayuri anywhere.”

“Man, these rules are pain in the ass.” Ryuuji nodded to that, pulling off his pants and grabbing his towel, hardly bothering to cover himself at all. “It’s the same at our place. I got in trouble for putting one damn poster up, okay? And the walls are so thin, too, you can hear every damn thing happenin’…”

“Well, at least you have your own room.” Akira sighed, wrapping his towel around himself. “Try sharing one with Morgana at all times… and I don’t even have a door, Boss can just get up the stairs and poke his head in whenever he wants.”

“That sucks, man.”

“What are you going to do about Sayuri, though?” Akira hummed, looking over at Yusuke. “I know it’s really personal and all… but we could always ask Boss if he’d let you hang it in Leblanc. It kind of fits there, doesn’t it?”

“Oh?” Yusuke looked back at him and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “…yes, you’re correct, Akira. What a keen observation. I shall inquire about this the next time I’ll stop by.”

 _Well, it’s not like I remember it being put up there or anything_ , Akira thought, smiling at his friends as they marched out from the locker room and went to the showers. By that time, Goro was already in one of the baths, sat in the corner, with his knees pulled to his chest and watching them from his spot.

He… looked pretty adorable, eyes half-lidded as he relaxed like that and waited for them to join him.

Akira didn’t try to cover himself quite this much once he entered the bath as well, though he was glad the hot water made up for the fact he blushed, feeling the detective’s eyes on himself. With Ryuuji and Yusuke there, too, the awkward tension only lasted a second, and they quickly turned to talking as they soaked in the bath, chatting about everything, from girls – ridiculously – to Phantom Thieves, to schoolwork. Yusuke continued to gush about the apartment, and Goro seemed to be quite happy with how pleased the young artist was with his new place to stay in; Ryuuji pulled Akira into an in-depth analysis of their group – namely the fact they definitely needed more girls there – and soon both Goro and Yusuke joined in, laughing and teasing one another, the conversation then quickly moving onto other topics.

Honestly, by the end of it, Akira wouldn’t have been able to repeat anything they talked about in detail, or recall any question he had been asked. Though he tried to relax and have a good time with his friends, his eyes kept darting back to Goro; and he knew the detective had similar problems, too. The situation was just… a little bit too much. In a very good way, but Akira could probably do without his heart racing and his stomach clenching every time he let his eyes linger.

The old man that kept pouring the hot water in was a lot more welcome this time around because of this; and Ryuuji pressing himself against his side made Goro shoot the blond a little, pissed-off look he smoothed over quickly – though not quick enough for Akira. He grinned then, just as Ryuuji yelled about it being too hot and jumped out, with them soon following.

“…jealous?” Akira whispered as they headed back towards the locker room, and perhaps it was just the hot water, but the blush on Goro’s cheeks seemed to deepen at that.

“Shut up.”

They dressed quickly, wanting to keep the pleasant feeling of warmth that seemed to soak right into their bones and left together, chuckling and joking about as they did. Ryuuji wanted to grab a drink on their way out, and they all stopped by the vending machine, getting their picks for some cool-down. In the little moment of relaxation, Akira felt compelled to pull out his phone, leaning against the vending machine and smiling to himself as he started to type.

 

 **Akira:** Crow

 **Goro:** …you do realize you’re standing a meter away from me

 **Akira:** You’re beautiful

 

Well, there went them being inconspicuous by texting. Goro bit his lip and looked away, seemingly trying to drink his whole bottle of green tea in one go after reading that. Akira expected a reaction like this, but he still couldn’t help himself. That whole trip to the bathhouse has been a sweet torture, and right now, it felt that if he won’t tell his boyfriend just how gorgeous he is, he’d be missing a grand opportunity.

“…we should go. Trains are going to stop soon.” Goro finally managed to murmur, and Yusuke raised his eyebrow at the two of them before nodding. Ryuuji groaned and looked at his phone, too, nodding at the time.

“It’s a pity Yongen isn’t closer to Shibuya, no?” the blond hummed, stretching and throwing away his bottle. “Man, I had a nice time…”

Akira walked them to the station, and then watched them go, smiling for a long time after the last one of them disappeared inside the train and he turned, returning to Leblanc, a little blush still staining his cheeks. A blush that had nothing on how red his face was going to become momentarily, when he got back, changed into his pyjamas and got in bed, pulling his phone out again, chatting quietly with Morgana about nothing in particular.

The buzzing of the device in his hand wasn’t unexpected; and Akira opened the chat window, feeling his face grow hot all over again while Morgana just groaned from beside him.

 

 **Goro:** You are, too

 **Goro:** Beautiful, I mean

 **Goro:** I thought I was going to die there

 **Akira:** …me too. In a good way

 **Akira:** um

 **Akira:** anyway

 **Akira:** You home yet?

 **Goro:** Yes, we just finished setting up Yusuke’s room

 **Akira:** You had a free room?

 **Goro:** Yes, there was one I only used for things like ironing board and stuff

 **Goro:** It didn’t take long to clear it all out

 **Goro:** he said that it’s better than most of the rooms he lived in until today

 **Goro:** I’m not sure I can make him leave now

 **Akira:** Yeeee you have a roommate

 **Goro:** This isn’t funny

 **Akira:** Didn’t you say you wanted to have a cat?

 **Akira:** And this one doesn’t kill you for not going to sleep on time

 **Akira:** Morgana would like me to tell you he is not a cat and he does no such thing

 **Goro:** Is he pressing his claws to your throat

 **Akira:** That’s classified

 **Goro:** Morgana, please don’t kill my boyfriend

**Akira:**

**Akira:** …shit

 **Goro:**?

 **Akira:** I just

 **Akira:** I really am in deep for you

 **Goro:** :)

 **Akira:** DID YOU JUST USE AN EMOJI ON ME

 **Goro:** why, is this your weak point?

 **Akira:** Yes you hit a crit

 **Akira:** You can all-out attack me now

 **Goro:** Somehow you’re both adorable and gross

 **Akira:** My very special charm

 **Goro:** If you say so

 **Akira:** Goodnight, Goro ♥

 **Goro:** Goodnight

 **Goro:** ♥

* * *

 

The next day, Akira was more than a little tempted to spend some time with his boyfriend again, even at the cost of falling behind on some of the other things he had to do. He could hardly help himself; soon, Akira knew the whole fresh hell of investigating Kaneshiro was going to begin, and with it, their chances to spend time together will become few and far between. No matter his temptation, though, today was simply not the day, as it turned out. First, right from the morning, Goro dragged Yusuke to have his keys duplicated and they hardly had time to wave at one another at the station; and after school, he went to open days at one of the universities he hoped to get into. Akira found himself smile as he recalled how animated and excited Goro sounded when talking about pursuing a career in law, not as a detective, but a prosecutor or attorney. Well, he definitely had the brains for it, and with how he could talk about all this with such enthusiasm, Akira couldn’t help but wish him all the best.

As such, the day was spent on catching up with his other friends and doing errands around town. It wasn’t bad; the raven found he needed a little breathing space, even if he didn’t expect that. No matter how smitten with Goro he was, it was good to have a long chat with Iwai while he checked whether there were any updates to his team’s gear he could get from the gruff man, or to finally start talking with Yoshida; the man’s fighting spirit and kindness were something Akira didn’t even realize he missed as he was asked to help him out. Still, Akira was half-aware of his phone at all times; and when it finally vibrated, just as he came back from the Velvet Room after doing some tweaking to his Personas, the raven smiled as he pulled it out.

 

 **Goro:** Guess whom I just met on the open days

 **Akira:** Who? And are you having fun? Is the university as good as you expected?

 **Goro:** Well, it’s hard to talk about fun or not, but…

 **Goro:** Yes, it’s quite good.

 **Goro:** Although, seeing as the one I met was Makoto Niijima herself…

 **Akira:** …wait seriously?

 **Goro:** yes, she’s apparently thinking of applying to this university as well

 **Goro:** perhaps I’ll rethink my own interest

 **Goro:** Even compared to her sister she’s just so infuriating I don’t want to subject myself to years of having to deal with her

 **Akira:** …come on

 **Akira:** it couldn’t be /this/ bad

 **Goro:** I have very little patience with this good-girl pushover type

 **Akira:** whoa

 **Akira:** ok she pissed you off

 **Goro:** She’s investigating my boyfriend

 **Goro:** Of course she pissed me off

 **Akira:** So you want to be the only one to investigate me, huh detective?

 **Goro:** Well, I do believe I am the only one qualified to, at least

 **Goro:** Besides she seems to think I’m arrogant for not being shy about my natural-born talents

 **Akira:** I got your back on this.

 **Akira:** You’re pretty, you’re smart, you have impeccable taste in men… truly the perfect specimen

 **Goro:** …why am I still with you again?

 **Akira:** before-mentioned impeccable taste

 **Goro:** right. I think we need to break up then

 **Akira:** (⊙︿⊙✿)

 

* * *

 

As Kawakami asked him to come to the student council room after classes today, Akira thought to himself just how screwed with Goro he’d be if the detective knew he _did_ go through with Operation Maidwatch soon after Goro’s birthday, and was now officially inviting an actual maid up to his room, when he wasn’t otherwise engaged during the evenings at Leblanc. They used the back entrance, so Sojiro would be non-the-wiser himself even if he was still in the café when Akira happened to make the call, but still… the raven just hoped Goro won’t ever find out. It was bad enough they did the Operation Maidwatch _kind of_ behind his back; it would be _impossible_ to explain why was Kawakami coming to visit him in maid outfit without breaking his promise about not letting anyone in on her secret.

Even if it was his second time being called there, Akira had to say, he was feeling nervous. Makoto seemed so much more like a soulless robot compared to the worrying, tender, strong-willed girl he knew from the other future now. She really changed a lot; opened up a lot thanks to them. Akira only hoped they could do this once more, and become friends all over again, all of them. Although, judging by yesterday’s messages he got from Goro, _this_ task in particular might end up being one of the hardest…

As he listened to Makoto accusing them, only half-paying attention to Morgana’s alarmed words in response to it, Akira had to say, he was impressed. More so now, when he was expecting it and wasn’t worried, did he fully appreciate how smart Makoto really was. She managed to find them out so fast, and gather enough proof to get them in real trouble – a feat even her sister and Goro combined only managed after a long time and with inside knowledge of the Metaverse in that other future. It’ll be good to have her on their side again.

Akira’s phone rang just as Makoto finished accusing them – well, him, Ann and Ryuuji, at least – and the raven was for the briefest moment tempted not to answer it. Still, he sighed and did it. Makoto was one of them; and having her give them her assignment was the first step to making her join their little ragtag group, no matter how almost painful it was to be blackmailed and goaded on like this by whom he already thought of as his precious friend, and not an enemy.

Ryuuji yelled into the phone just as he did before, and Akira sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and thinking that screw maid visits; he was going to get hell from Goro just for this alone.

 

* * *

 

“…Niijima-san..?”

Perhaps, in the end, there _were_ pros to taking Makoto with him to their hideout – or more of a hang-out spot by then – in the Shibuya station accessway when she requested it. Not like he had any choice; but like this, Akira could stand back and enjoy the absolutely _shocked_ expressions on both Goro’s and Makoto’s faces as they stared at one another, at a loss for words.

He only hoped Makoto won’t be tempted to rat Goro in particular out to her sister, seeing as she’d probably figure out he was an insider on her investigation of the Phantom Thieves right now. Akira prayed his friend’s ironclad sense of justice won’t let her throw just one of them under the bus without giving all of them a chance.

“Akechi-kun..? But… what are _you_ …”

To his credit, Goro tried to salvage the situation a bit. He had to figure out why was Makoto here by now; but he still tried to play, perhaps hoping that at least some of them could escape the dangerous situation scot-free.

“Is it a crime now to hang out with one’s…” Goro flashed Akira a quick look, and the raven felt himself grin a little before pouting when the detective continued to talk. “…friends, Niijima-san? I am more interested in what _your_ business here is. Frankly, you are being a nuisance.”

“…seriously?” Akira gasped with a dramatic look, and though the situation was dire, he could see Goro’s lips twitch upwards.

“I can’t argue with numbers, Akira.”

“You have _friends_ …?”

Makoto’s slip was clearly unintentional, and she immediately covered her lips after saying this; but it was enough not for just Goro, but all the rest of them to bristle up. Akira felt himself glare, even without meaning to. The words were unexpected; and though he knew Makoto had reasons to be surprised, still…

For her part, it was as if the girl momentarily forgot why was she here, standing in front of them, embarrassed and uncomfortable, especially as she met Goro’s icy look.

“…I’ll have you know I _do_ , Niijima-san.” Goro replied with a voice that single-handedly managed to lower the temperature of the station by some good ten degrees. “What’s more, I…” he hesitated, and Akira felt himself groan.

“Oh for fucks sake. Give me your hand.” he murmured, and when Goro blinked at him and reached his hand obediently towards him, Akira gently took off the other boy’s glove, before linking their bare hands together. He could see Goro smile, before looking back defiantly at Makoto, who was now blushing even harder than they were.

“…I also have a boyfriend.” he said with the most petty, victorious smirk that Akira ever saw on him and wouldn’t mind seeing more often. Then, Goro turned to their friends, his expression turning into soft embarrassment instead.

“Um… sorry for only letting you guys know now, we…”

“Dude, we knew.” Ryuuji laughed, before groaning and pulling out his wallet when Ann grinned at him knowingly. “…I mean, I made a bet you won’t own up until we find a new target, so…” he grumbled, picking through his cash as Ann winked at the both of them.

“I bet it’d still be within this week, so thanks.” she grinned, and Goro laughed and shook his head, while Yusuke cleared his throat.

“Actually, Ann, you said it’ll be until the end of the week, while I bet on the first three days of it. As it is Monday today, I do believe that makes _me_ the winner.”

“Well, thanks for the good reaction, everyone, and whomever gets the money in the end can treat us to something.” Akira grinned, before lightly squeezing Goro’s hand in his. Makoto seriously picked a wrong time to intimidate them. At a time like this, nothing could spoil their mood…

…which sentence has been quickly proven to Akira to be wrong, as the next moment, the sound of Ryuuji’s and Ann’s recorded conversation rang out in between them, and they all turned back to Makoto, faces pale and eyes wide, watching as the girl gathered herself from the previous slip, and was now standing before them, phone outstretched and the recording playing out. Once she had their attention, Makoto stopped the recording and cleared her throat, looking almost intimidatingly like her older sister did while interrogating him.

“ _If_ you don’t mind me interrupting… Ryuuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki… and Kitagawa-kun, correct? Second year at Kosei High and former pupil of Madarame? And… Goro Akechi, the high school detective investigating the Phantom Thieves, too. So this is how your group looks. I would have never guessed…”

“As expected from a Niijima.” Goro hissed quietly, his voice still polite, but extremely cold. Akira looked to the side at him, feeling his own expression soften. The detective was getting so protective over them at times, it really was sweet…

“What do you intend to do?” Yusuke asked, as the rest of them looked at each other tensely. “Have you come just to say you’re going to report us..?”

“Oh, that she didn’t.” Goro replied for Makoto, who fixed him with an equally cold glare. He didn’t seem fazed by it at all. “No, Niijima-san is going to blackmail us with the information she has. If she wanted to report us, she’d have done so long before, and just followed Akira here instead of making him lead her to us. She doesn’t like getting her own hands dirty, you see.”

“I bet someone told you to find us.” Ann snapped, frowning at Makoto herself. “The school can’t have ties to criminals, after all. And yet they turn a blind eye when it turns to sexual harassment. Those adults are just using you. I feel sorry for you.”

“I… I know…” Makoto’s voice wavered; Ann’s words seemingly affecting her the most.

“So..? What are your terms, Niijima-san? We already know you’re going to blackmail us, so just go ahead and present your offer.” Goro’s voice remained icy, and perhaps that was the reason why the girl seemed to be shaking herself off and facing them all again, face set.

“I would like to verify the justice you speak of.”

“What?”

“I’m the only one who knows about you. If you prove what you’re doing is just, I’ll erase this. I won’t let my sister know she has a Phantom Thief on her investigation team, either.” she looked pointedly at Goro, who didn’t even blink under her glare. “There is someone whose heart I’d like you to change.”

“Who?” Yusuke asked, pushing himself off of the railing and nearing their group more. Akira had to say he was almost in awe with how much Makoto managed to rattle them all. Goro simply sighed at the bait the artist took so easily.

“Hm, so you’re not saying it’s impossible. However… I cannot tell you that just yet. Let’s continue our talk after school tomorrow. On the roof. Assuming you accept my offer, that is.”

“I suppose you _would_ only feel relatively in charge with students you actually have dirt on. And _you_ are the one questioning our morals, Niijima-san?” Goro scoffed; the girl huffed in reply, though did not dignify it with an actual answer, turning around and leaving them alone instead. Akira sighed and let himself let off some tension, his thumb rubbing little circles into the palm of Goro’s hand.

“This is turnin’ into a real pain…” Ryuuji grumbled, and Akira felt himself smile when the detective hummed in agreement.

“Out of all people, it had to be a Niijima… I swear, we have just the worst luck.”

 

* * *

 

They went to the diner in the end, moods sour enough that when both Goro and Yusuke scolded them about not being careful and letting themselves get recorded, no one really held that against them. They did all majorly fucked up there, after all.

“A recording like that is not sufficient evidence, though…” Yusuke murmured, and Goro sighed, shaking his head.

“On its own, no… but the moment it comes out, proof will pile up. They will have their suspects, and enough basis to dig in deeper. Circumstantial evidence is all there, too; we all had the time, the motive, everything. In the end, they might risk it and take you in for an interrogation; perhaps me too, once Niijima-san starts spilling the names. Don’t think it’ll be pretty. Once they’re sure, they’ll _make_ us confess, eventually. And then, it’ll all be over.”

“Dude…” Ryuuji sighed quietly, all of them looking terribly down; all of them, aside from Akira and Goro himself.

“No need to focus on the worst-case scenario when you already have the solution to escape it, Crow.” Akira smiled, and Goro looked back at him, mirroring his expression faintly.

“As much as I personally _loathe_ to be Makoto Niijima’s errand boy, we will need to listen to her demands and steal the target’s heart. I dislike her, but her sense of justice is genuine; I do not doubt it will be a criminal she’ll force us to target, perhaps even the kind of a person we were all hoping for.”

“So we should just go along with it?”

“Well, does anyone have any better ideas?”

“I don’t like being forced to do this, but…”

“I might have _some_ idea on whom she might propose.” Akira said quietly, and all of them turned their eyes to him. The raven smiled a bit, before resting his chin on his hands, leaning forward.

“If it’s whom I think it is, I doubt any of us will be against this mission. In school as well as around Shibuya, there were rumours about phishing scandals going on; ones targeting juveniles.”

“Now that you mention it…” Ann hummed, rubbing her chin, and Goro narrowed his eyes. He didn’t even look like he had to think, Akira noted; he already knew about this. Or at least had a lead suspect.

“I heard some people talking about going with their problems with it to the student council, to ask for help after that poster was put up.”

“Poster?” Goro tilted his head, and Akira waved dismissively.

“There was a poster asking for students to direct their information about basically everything unusual to the student council. Anyway… if she heard of it and wanted it taken care of, for whatever reason… wouldn’t it be a perfect target to use us for, from her perspective..?”

“So, you mean the person scamming people..?”

“If what Akira is saying concerns the case I’m thinking of, it’s more than just one guy scamming people.” Goro said quietly. “There’s mafia involved. We’d be taking down a mafia boss.”

They all looked at each other; and as they did, Akira saw small, slow smiles stretching their lips, as the atmosphere moved from hopeless and frightened to excited.

“Mafia boss, huh… that’d be huge.” Ryuuji murmured, and Akira saw Goro smiling, too.

“I… would concede if this was our target, too.” Goro nodded. “I happen to have some information about this particular case. It is one even the police has difficulties with; we are sure to gain both popularity and influence from defeating such a target.”

“And imagine all the people we’d help!” Ann chimed in, Yusuke nodding quietly beside her, beginning to smile as well. Morgana jumped onto the table and shook his head at them.

“That would be great, but until we know for certain, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll find out tomorrow, yes?”

“Of course.” Goro nodded, starting to gather his bag. “Me and Yusuke will be on standby in Shibuya, so let’s meet there after school tomorrow so we can confirm the target. Even if it ends up not being the mafia boss in question, we should hold that thought; it would be a good target regardless, once we don’t have Niijima-san on our backs.”

They all nodded and started to raise up from their seats; only for Akira’s hand to raise up and catch Goro’s wrist lightly as he was about to leave, too.

“…stay a bit.” he murmured, blushing as Ryuuji whistled and commented on the two of them needing some alone time. “I have something to talk to you about.”

“I know. Two steps out of the way…” Goro smiled somewhat sadly and shook his head. “We’ll get to our date once we’re done with Niijima-san, Akira.” he said, before laughing at the raven’s pout. “Come on, as much as I’d love to, we don’t have time for this now.”

“…right. Let’s get it over with as soon as possible, then.”

“It’s good to see you motivated, Leader.” Goro smiled softly, squeezing Akira’s hand before moving away. “I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so, SO much for supporting, reading and commenting on this story. You all make me so ridiculously happy, I wish I had better words to tell you all how grateful I am :) As some of you already noticed, we've reached 1000 kudos soon after publishing of chapter 16! Thank you all so much. 
> 
> As a thank you gift - and as people who follow me on twitter already know - I have given you hints concerning Akira's and Goro's list :) For those who do not have and/or do not follow me on twitter, here it is:
> 
> step 1&2, hand holding and telling all their friends - as you have read in this chapter already, these steps are fulfilled out of pettiness and spite, and neither Akira nor Goro would have it any other way.  
> step 3, Akira takes Goro on a date - things do not go according to plan and include random investigations, crazed fans and badly sung Disney songs  
> step 4, Goro takes Akira on a date - Goro has spent a whole week "training" for his date with Akira with various PT members, including Makoto  
> step 5, kissing - Goro had planned for their first kiss to happen in exactly the perfect place in exactly the perfect way. Akira acts against his expectations, as always  
> step 6, getting one another a matching pair of something - the dorks end up with two pairs of matching things, since each of them bought a pair. Goro's gift for them is something they can both use; Akira's is something they can both wear  
> step 7, going on tanabata together - the first time they speak about possibility of a future together happens there, and Akira is not allowed to read what wish Goro had written on his wishing slip. He guesses it anyway.  
> step 8, sleepover - the first time ever Akira sees Goro entirely without make-up. Silliness occurs. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the little sneak-peak!


	18. The New Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves receive their new assignment; and Akira is being accused of not being romantic enough.

**Skull:** we’re heading your way guys

 **Fox:** That’s good to know. Me and Crow are waiting by Buchiko

 **Crow:** How did it go?

 **Skull:** Well you managed to piss miss president off dude

 **Crow:**?

 **Panther:** it was exactly how you and Joker predicted, it’s the mafia boss behind the phishing scandals

 **Panther:** Only Ryuuji let slip it was exactly how you deduced it’d be and

 **Crow:** Good job Ryuuji

 **Crow:** I knew I can count on you

 **Skull:** heh no problem man

 **Skull:** She did get super pissed at that comment tho

 **Skull:** it was kind of scary

 **Joker:** the hidden seething rage kind of scary, yes

 **Joker:** we should put you two in some cage and watch you hiss at each other

 **Fox:** Joker, please refrain from putting your fantasies out in the public eye of the group chat

 **Skull:** DAMN

 **Panther:** FOX

 **Fox:** …I think I might have broken Crow

 **Fox:** He’s choking on his water

 **Joker:** that’s normal. Don’t worry about it.

  

For what it was worth, Goro looked quite un-choked and composed by the time they exited the station and found him and Yusuke waiting for them in the agreed place. Akira waved lightly at his boyfriend, and received a little smile in return; but this was the only sign of affection they could afford at the moment. They had things to discuss, and their situation wasn’t extremely bright.

“Tell us everything you found out from Niijima-san first.” Goro said, leaning against the side of the building they were standing near. Akira nodded and summarized their meeting with Makoto briefly; her giving them the target, shortly explaining the reason behind her choice and finally setting them the deadline of two weeks – which had all of them hiss quietly in annoyance.

“Two weeks and no name, huh…” Yusuke winced, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning, as he looked down at the pavement. “Not just no name, either; no information on the person in question whatsoever. This is ridiculous. We’re a group of high school students. Why would she…”

“As much as I despise to agree with Niijima-san, she does have a point there, setting us a deadline such as this.” Goro sighed. “If we claim to be the force of justice, we should be able to deal with whichever challenge she sets for us. That is only to be expected.”

“Tch…” Ryuuji frowned, kicking some non-existent rock as he looked around them. “Welp, we won’t gain anything by standin’ around doin’ nothing. Goro, you got anything?”

They all looked at the detective, who smiled lightly and brushed his chin with his left hand, weighing his words.

“I confess to having done some digging on the case. It’s just as I have suspected; the phishing scandals that were on the raise around Shibuya lately are something the police seems to be completely helpless against. The victims are mostly juveniles; they are being blackmailed and extorted, until their lives, along with the lives of their families are destroyed.”

“Bastards…” Ann grit her teeth, looking away. Goro nodded quietly.

“I wasn’t able to access all the information they have on the case without pulling attention to myself, unfortunately; I do know their modus operandi, though, more or less. Contrary to what the police seems to believe, they operate during the day; when it is safer, and more young people are out and about. They offer said young people a job; then, they procure their blackmail material and start their extortion business.”

“So we know they operate during the day, in Shibuya.” Akira nodded cautiously. “Do we know anything more?”

“Admittedly, it is just a wild guess on my part, but the nature of said job – if the result of doing it would make one susceptible to blackmail – is somewhat criminal. Seeing as it’s high school students being coerced into participating, and the known victims being rather average and unassuming, and of both sexes, I’d consider drug trafficking a strong option.”

Ryuuji whistled quietly; and they all stared at the detective. Not for the first time, Akira felt like he was this close to pulling Goro close and kissing him; although this time, this was chiefly because of the fact that in just a few sentences, his inside knowledge and use of deductive skills just saved them days and days of running about gathering information before they could even _start_ investigating Kaneshiro. God, just how long did it take him and Ann to corner Iida about the _part-time job_ he was rumoured to have back then, in that other future? And now, with Goro here…

“…so they’re making high school kids carry drugs for them, take pictures and then blackmail them with those?” Ann said in a furious voice, and Akira came back on earth from his musings. Goro nodded quietly, while Ryuuji cursed.

“It is, by all means, only my deduction. I doubt I’m wrong, though.”

“In that case, I am quite certain we have reached the unanimous decision to go after the man behind it all.” Yusuke had said seriously.

“Hell yeah, man! We’re taking that mafia boss down!”

“It’s a target we’ve been looking for.” Morgana chimed in from Akira’s bag. “Let’s go for it!”

“I have no objections whatsoever.” Goro smiled lightly, and Akira nodded as well.

“Then, it is decided. Now… how do we get the name?”

As if his words were a bucket of cold water poured over their excitement, Akira saw his friends hesitate, before they all looked away. Right. Finding Kaneshiro’s name the hard way, without Akira just magically pulling it out of his first run memories was still going to be a chore. Still, them getting this name was what, in the end, made Makoto part of their group, wasn’t it? Akira supposed he wouldn’t mind going an extra mile just to ensure the girl became their friend once more.

And then, as he remembered just how did it happen the first time, the raven’s mind reeled. _The picture_. They couldn’t let Goro be on the picture, could they? Kaneshiro wouldn’t just blackmail them if he had Goro in his grasp; he’d use him, right then and there, money be damned. Shit. _Shit_.

All around him, the Phantom Thieves continued to brainstorm, unaware of their Leader’s turmoil.

“Goro-kun, you, erm… you didn’t happen to find the name in these files?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Goro sighed, shaking his head.

“You’ve done plenty as it is.” Akira smiled at him, forcing himself to get back into the conversation. He needed to think of a way to keep Goro safe, but right now was not the time for it. “Do you think you could find more information about this, Goro?”

“I’ll try, although I cannot act as freely as I wish. If I start digging into this case right before the Phantom Thieves take care of it, my position as our double agent in the police force will be just as compromised as if Niijima-san told her sister about my involvement.”

“Sure, man, that’s fair. We’ll try gettin' intel ourselves first.” Ryuuji smiled, patting Goro’s back and receiving a smile in return.

“Let’s disband for today and think this over. We’ll chat in the evening and form a plan, so that we can get right to it tomorrow.” Akira nodded, smiling at all of them.

They didn’t loiter about for much longer, slowly walking away in the directions of their respective homes. Goro stayed behind, though, waiting for everyone to leave; and once they did, waving them goodbye and smiling, Morgana stuck his head out of Akira’s bag and looked at the two of them thoughtfully.

“…want me to leave and walk about for a bit?” he asked. “I’d rather do that than see you guys getting lovey-dovey, so…”

“If you could, Morgana.” Goro smiled lightly. “I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ll be sure to pay you back in sushi sometime.”

“Heh! Akira chose well, I see.” Morgana grinned, hopping out of the bag and stretching on the pavement. “I think I’ll take a walk to Leblanc, so don’t bother looking for me once you’re done. Now go have fun.” he winked at the two of them, and Akira chuckled, watching him go; before turning back to Goro with a soft smile.

“Bribing him with sushi, are you?” the raven hummed, and Goro grinned lightly with a little shrug.

“I do believe _getting the cat to like you_ is one of the first steps in establishing a successful relationship… although Morgana is, in fact, not a cat, so I wonder how does this work.”

“What were you reading, dating advice columns in girl magazines?” Akira chuckled, only to blink in surprise when Goro turned slightly pink and looked away with a challenging expression. “…oh god. You _did_.”

“…shut up, okay?” The detective huffed, only to sigh and look at Akira seriously. “Sadly, as much as I’d love to spend some actual leisure time with you now, that’s not why I stayed behind. I didn’t tell the group all the information I had on our target.”

“…why?” Akira asked, slipping back into seriousness as well, before frowning as he answered the question for himself. “Wait, so… that mafia boss has something to do with _him_?”

“Yes… and no.” Goro nodded gravely, an expression of disgust on his face. “I know of only one confirmed link between _him_ and the underground, and that is definitely _not_ that mafia boss. If it was, I wouldn’t have been so keen on us tackling the target. I know, however, that _he_ is involved in the bigger picture.”

“…bigger picture?”

Goro looked at him with a somewhat exasperated look, and Akira found himself smiling.

“Don’t look at me like that, Goro. We’re not all as smart as you are.”

“Tch. Charmer.” the detective purred, before looking away with a little, satisfied smile as he continued to talk. “Well, think. We’re talking mafia here. Not a gang, not some burglary ring like the one Mishima was telling you about… speaking of, can you ask this guy to try not to leak our identities while he does all of his fanboying? It’s putting me off…”

“Goro, the mafia.”

“ _Right_. Well… what I mean to say is, a string of phishing scams exploiting Shibuya’s youth is way too small to be enough for a whole mafia ring. Of course, it’s terrible and I still want to stop it, but I doubt the boss we’re going after is the one behind the whole thing. There are different _endeavours_ of the kind, spread over whole Tokyo; maybe whole of Japan, even. All of them different, all of them making money, which is then laundered and pumped – some of it, at least, and a substantial amount – directly to _Shido_.”

“I hear what you’re saying…” Akira said carefully. “But isn’t it all pure hypothesis? What I mean is… do you know for sure it’s connected to _him_ , and so widespread, too?”

“It’s not just hypothesis. I know _he_ has connections to the underground, and not just that. Some… _assignments_ I did for him, they involved convincing different people to do his bidding, in the cognitive world. Many of them were mafia. This is also the reason why I don’t have the name for us to use – I have _names_ , I just don’t know which one of these people is the one we’re supposed to be targeting.”

Goro sighed and shook his head lightly, suddenly looking even more tired than before. Akira’s face softened as he looked at him. Sometimes, it was hard to remember just how much work, day-to-day, the detective had. Not just their Phantom Thievery, which was bound to take away substantial chunks of his time; but he also had to make TV appearances, study, report to Shido and do these… _assignments_ of his and yet, he still found time to spend it with all of them and work as their strategist and data source. Goro… he was truly amazing, but Akira wished he could do something to help him relax at times, too.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him; and Akira felt himself smile as he reviewed his plans for the next days and wondered when will he have the time to invite Kawakami over. He needed to consult her about certain things…

Obviously ignorant to Akira’s thoughts, Goro continued to speak.

“Do you know why was I so keen on fighting Madarame..? Even before I found out what a bastard he is, I found evidence his crooked art deals were not only financing his own greed, but Shido’s campaign, too. Madarame was one of the bigger contributors to the cause. I got that information through some serious digging, and even that only because back then, he was the kind of a person _he_ wouldn’t mind people finding out was supporting him… until we stole his heart, that is.”

“So Madarame was connected, too? That’s… some coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences, Akira.” Goro smiled lightly.

“What does this information mean for us, then?”

“Hopefully, not too much. It’s just lucky we’ll be able to get _his_ attention on the Phantom Thieves by cutting off one of his many sources of income. I… will probably be asked to prioritize investigating you shortly. I may even need to aid in creating a plan to get rid of you. This will, of course, allow me to gather more of Shido’s trust; he won’t be able to give this assignment to anyone but me. I will finally be able to get more information from him, too.”

“I see.” Akira said quietly, and Goro smiled up at him softly.

“Worried, leader?”

“Not worried about your plan, no. I have my right-hand man on the case, do I not?” the raven chuckled, before sighing as he leaned just a tiny bit closer to Goro. “…just, be safe, okay? Being a double agent – triple one, counting the police – is dangerous. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Goro’s eyes were soft as he looked at Akira again; soft and sweet and yet reminding the raven way too much of the last look he has been given in the boiler room. He didn’t like it. At all.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ve played this game for a long time now.”

“Well…” Akira sighed, leaning his head back until it bumped the wall. “I do trust you, and your skill. I’m not going to stop worrying, though. Don’t even count on it.”

 

* * *

 

Goro had to work in the evening that day, and wake up early in the morning for another interview concerning the Phantom Thieves – he confessed to Akira he only went there because he has been required to, and that the only reason he managed to smile all the way through them anymore was the fact the TV station reminded him now of them getting together. As such, Akira agreed they didn’t have time for _leisure_ , as Goro had called it, and only dragged the detective to the nearest convenience store to get him a proper bento for lunch instead of the usual apple before letting him go.

“Convenience store bento.” Goro chuckled at him then. “How romantic.”

That evening, Sojiro stared as Akira marched into Leblanc with shopping bags hanging from his hands, and cheerfully saying hello while pulling out his phone.

 

 **Skull:** It’s no use, I can’t think of damn thing we could do to get the guy’s name

 **Panther:** we don’t even know it’s a guy

 **Crow:** Statistically speaking, more likely, although of course, the boss can just as well be a woman

 **Fox:** Perhaps if we tried to interview some of the victims..?

 **Crow:** I doubt it’ll work. Most of them won’t know the boss’s name, and those that do are probably blackmailed into keeping quiet. We can try, though

 **Joker:** Hm. So you’re saying some of the victims might have met with him and know his name?

 **Crow:** …it is possible, if unlikely. why?

 **Joker:** I have an idea

 **Joker:** Let’s get a part-time job

 **Crow:** You cannot possibly mean trying to get him to target us in order to get the name

 **Panther:** this does sound dangerous… but it might work, right?

 **Fox:** I am, likewise, worried about the safety of the operation, however… it does appear to be the only way

 **Ryuuji:** Joker, how d’you want to go about this?

 **Joker:** Let’s meet in Shibuya tomorrow and implement our plans then

 **Crow:** I have work tomorrow, I apologize.

 **Joker:** Right, ofc. Just as well, though, we’ll have more time to think everything through. Day after tomorrow, then. Make sure you’re prepared.

 

Akira smiled and closed the chat, and was about to put his phone down before it vibrated again.

 

 **Goro:** I don’t like that plan

 **Akira:** you worry too much.

 **Goro:** I worry the perfect amount. You’re being too risky.

 **Goro:** You’re still on probation, remember?

 **Akira:** right, ofc, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me

 **Akira:** it’s not like everyone does, everywhere I go

 **Goro:** …no need to be snarky

 **Akira:** …sorry

 **Akira:** it’s just, everyone does, you know?

 **Akira:** I could use with just one person not reminding me constantly that I’m technically a criminal

 **Goro:** that was not my intention. I worry for you, that’s all

 **Goro:** and you’re not a criminal, Akira

 **Akira:** you’d be more convincing if you were not addressing the leader of the Phantom Thieves

 **Akira:** and on that note, can I please have some trust? as your leader?

 **Goro:** I trust you to get us the name and keep everyone safe.

 **Goro:** I don’t trust you to keep /yourself/ safe while at it, though

 

Akira sighed, though it was a fond sigh; and put his phone away, skipping behind the counter and starting to unload groceries in the kitchen. Sojiro looked after their last customer for the day leaving before turning back to Akira with an amused look in his kind eyes.

“Hey, what’s all this?” he asked, twirling the end of his beard between his fingers. Akira grinned at him lightly.

“I’m waking up early tomorrow and making a bento.”

“…a what now?”

“ _Well_.” Akira hummed, pulling out a pack of few cute-shaped veggie cutters and taking them out of their box, looking curiously at different shapes. “Apparently getting your boyfriend a convenience-store bento so he won’t starve working until ridiculous hours of the evening is _not romantic_ , see. So I’m about to prove a point.”

Sojiro laughed at that, joining him in the kitchen and picking up some of the vegetables Akira got, before reaching for a pack of sausages.

“You’re making octopus sausages for him? What is he, a child?”

“Hey, they’re cute.” Akira grinned, taking out few packets of rice seasoning and looking over his haul with pride in his eyes. “I checked his schedule tomorrow, too, so we’ll meet at the station on our way to school. Last time he ever calls me _not romantic,_ mark my words.”

Sojiro looked to the side at him, trying to hide his smile; and then, bent to one of the cabinets and pulled out a small thermos out of it, giving it to Akira.

“Here. You’re gonna embarrass the boy on the busy station, at least make sure he gets some good coffee out of it, too.” he said kindly.

 

* * *

 

How did Akira manage to drag himself out of bed the next morning, he really wasn’t sure; and not for the first time, the raven felt bad for his boyfriend, having to wake up at such hours almost daily now, what with all of the additional work he had to do and appearances he had to uphold.

 

 **Akira:** Good morning ♥

 **Goro:** Good morning

 **Goro:** Are you not feeling well?

 **Goro:** Why are you up so early?

 **Akira:** To say good morning to my wonderful boyfriend, of course

 **Goro:** …you’re scheming something and I’m not sure I like it

 **Akira:** ( ♥ ω ♥ ) ~♪

 

Sojiro has already started on preparing to open down at Leblanc, and smiled at Akira lightly from behind his glasses as the raven raced down the stairs, Morgana hot on his tail, grabbed an apron and moved to the kitchen.

“I cooked more rice than usual, it’s in the cooker, so just use that.”

“Thanks.” Akira beamed, starting to work on his very important morning assignment.

The end result was… satisfactory, Akira decided, as half an hour later, they both looked at the finished bento box. It consisted of few riceballs of different colours and tastes, a whole array of fresh vegetables cut in shapes of hearts, flowers and smiley faces, octopus sausages and sweet tamagoyaki on the side. Akira thought he might grab a sweet bun or something of the sort from the bakery at the station if he hurries, since Goro enjoyed sweets, too. He grinned, closing the bento up and packing it carefully, together with the thermos of hot coffee Sojiro made for him.

“This is nice…” Morgana hummed from his seat, leaning his front paws on the counter so he could watch Akira wrap the bento up better. “I bet Lady Ann would make the best bentos…”

They ran to the station, Akira nursing the box and thermos in his arms all the way up to Shibuya. He was just in time, it seemed; Goro was already there, beaming at him when he noticed Akira walk over to Ginza line, though his eyes were tired and the deep circles under them barely hidden by make-up.

“Rough night?” Akira asked sympathetically, while Morgana stuck out his head from the bag to say hello. Goro nodded with a tired smile.

“Yes… _and_ rough morning, too. I didn’t even have time for coffee, much less breakfast…”

“Heh… lucky you, then.” Akira grinned, pushing the bento and the thermos into Goro’s arms, watching the detective stare down on them before blushing as he realized what it was.

“…you made me a bento? Seriously?”

“Yep, _and_ Leblanc coffee, kudos from Boss.” Akira winked, before looking over at his phone. “Alright, I gotta go, can’t be late. So have a wonderful day, okay?”

Goro smiled back at him; and it was the kind of shy, sweet smile that made Akira’s heart pound in his chest. It took all of his self-restraint not to pull this man close and kiss him right now.

“I… suspect I really will, today.” Goro said softly.

 

* * *

 

 **Joker:** Alright, everyone ready for tomorrow? Did anyone find anything new?

 **Crow:** I apologize, I was unable to access any files concerning the phishing scandals in Shibuya on my part

 **Skull:** ‘s fine mate

 **Fox:** I have been talking to my classmates. The phishing scandals are a topic of conversation here as well

 **Fox:** What Crow has deduced checks out; the job they ask you to do is, supposedly, delivering a small envelope

 **Joker:** Drugs.

 **Crow:** Yes, this really does seem the most likely.

 **Panther:** Ryuuji, you’re over in Shibuya rn right? Anything suspicious there?

 **Skull:** Yeah, I’m at Central Street. It’s tough to tell though.

 **Skull:** There’s just too many people. The goddamn rain’s not helping out, either

 **Joker:** Crow has work today in the afternoon, too. Let’s meet tomorrow at the hideout, like we agreed

 **Panther:** alright!

 **Fox:** I will meet you all there

 **Skull:** yeah!

 **Crow:** I will try to be on time. Hopefully, no surprise work will pop up

 **Skull:** Man, they really milk you lately huh

 **Crow:** I try not to complain. It is imperative I remain the member of the investigation team, after all.

 **Fox:** I shall prepare a meal once I am home, then. I have noticed you went to bed without supper last night

 **Crow:** Thank you, you’re a lifesaver. The grocery money is in the jar in the kitchen

 **Fox:** Noted.

 **Panther:** Don’t overwork yourself, Goro-kun

 **Panther:** Rest is important, too!

 **Joker:** Take care of yourself, ok?

 **Crow:** :)

 **Crow:** Thank you, everyone

 **Crow:** _jokersbento.jpg_

 **Crow:** I do feel I am being very well taken care of, though

 **Joker:** ｡(*^▽^*)ゞ

 **Panther:** OMG that’s so cute!

 **Panther:** Joker did you make this????

 **Skull:** man it looks good

 **Skull:** how come we never got bentos huh

 **Fox:** It would do well with some rearrangement of colours and shapes

 **Fox:** Although I do admit it does look quite pleasing

 **Joker:** Sorry Skull, I only make bentos for my bf ♥

 **Skull:** I can’t decide whether I shoulda be happy for you two or grossed out tbh

 **Panther:** I think it’s super adorable

 **Joker:** uh fine I’ll make you guys bentos too next time

 **Joker:** Skull’s gonna be all heart-shaped and pink

 **Joker:** cause we’re bros

 **Skull:** bro

 **Joker:** BRO

 **Skull:** I mean if it has meat I ain’t gonna complain

 **Crow:** Hm… may I help in making them, then?

 **Joker:** oooooh sounds like fun!

 **Joker:** lemme know when you’re free in the morning, then we can meet up after school and all eat homemade bentos

 **Crow:** I like this idea.

 **Fox:** I would like to help as well. I will make sure they are aesthetically pleasing

 **Panther:** How about we all meet up for a cook-out at your place, Goro-kun? After the palace, I mean

 **Skull:** sounds awesome!

 **Crow:** I will be glad to have you

 **Crow:** :)


	19. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves set out to find the name of the man behind phishing scandals in Shibuya, and Akira receives a nightly visitor.

“No gloves today?”

Akira smiled, walking over with Ann and Ryuuji to Goro and Yusuke standing by the railing at their hideout in Shibuya. The raven waved at Yusuke lightly and has been met with a soft nod from the artist, before leaning beside Goro, who was looking off somewhere as they all gathered up.

“I’m trying to overcome that particular hang-up right now.” the detective explained, before looking over their group. Akira did so, as well, and Morgana stuck out his head from his bag. They all had quite determined, set looks on their faces.

“Alright. The plan is simple enough. One of us will be the bait, hoping the mafia scouts them. The rest will spread out over Shibuya and gather intel. Anything you hear, any whispers or gossips.” Akira explained, leaning back against the railing.

“Who’s going to be the bait?”

“Leave it to me.” Akira smiled. He could almost _feel_ Goro cringe at that, but the detective didn’t protest – for now. Yusuke smiled at him gently and Ryuuji patted his shoulder before they continued to talk.

“I’ll be keeping you updated. I’ll start walking about Central Street, see if I get anything.”

“Alright, then I’ll try staking out the underground walkway for information.” Ann smiled.

“I’ll check around Inugami Line.” Ryuuji nodded, rolling his shoulders.

“Then I shall take the underground mall for myself.” Yusuke hummed, pushing himself off the railing.

“I’m going with you.” Goro said quietly, making Akira let out a soft sigh, though it was an extremely fond one.

“No, you’re not. You’re staying right here at the hideout to coordinate everyone’s moves.” Akira said, as gently as possible.

“No, I’m _not_. I’m not letting you be the bait for the Mafia alone.” Goro scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re a celebrity, Goro. You’re the one who should be keeping himself as far away from the Central Street as possible. If they catch wind of the Detective Prince himself snooping around, we won’t find anything.”

“Are you telling me I might be a bother?”

“No, I’m telling you the Mafia isn’t stupid enough to try and get a famous detective to carry drugs for them!”

Several people around them looked curiously at the group; Akira leaned back, blushing in embarrassment as he realized he raised his voice. Goro pursed his lips, but slowly, obediently leaned back against the railing, looking extremely unhappy; but not about to protest. He pulled out his phone and looked up at all of them. Ryuuji, Ann, Yusuke and Morgana looked awkwardly between the two of them, but did not speak up.

“… _fine_. I apologize for questioning you, _Leader_.” Goro said quietly, before looking at Morgana. “Make sure this idiot keeps out of trouble, alright?”

“Roger that, Crow.” the cat in his bag nodded seriously, and despite everything, Akira felt himself smile.

 

* * *

 

There were times – such as right now, when he has been forced to run from Central Street, to Station Square, back to Central Street and all over the place – when Akira really wished he could just tell all his friends he already _knew_ everything. As it was, however, and with Morgana there with him at all times, he allowed himself to slip back into the world of déjà vu, trying to ignore the familiar headache that always came when he saw everything he has experienced once already being played like a tape recording for him once more.

The whispers on the streets, the homeless guy, Makoto following him, everyone sharing their leads; at least there, Akira could simply run off towards the alleyway by the arcade instead of checking every single one. Makoto interfering and their lead getting away; and the girl looking surprisingly grateful at him for stepping up and protecting her when the situation threatened to turn violent.

As she bid him her goodbye, Akira looked after Makoto, smiling gently to himself as Morgana complained about her from his bag. She _was_ bossy and interfering, true; but he knew her better than that. Akira could see, even now, even when they were supposed to be enemies, the wit and courage and unyielding justice he has come to cherish in this girl. Truly, he couldn’t wait for Makoto to join their ragtag group and learn to have fun and trust all of them.

On that note, the raven pulled out his phone and sighed, seeing absolutely no messages from Goro. The detective could be so stubborn sometimes, it was really frustrating, even though he knew he was in the wrong.

 

 **Joker:** so… I have good news and I have bad news

 **Joker:** the Mafia did approach me

 **Joker:** Miss President was there

 **Crow:** Niijima-san?

 

Oh look, here he was. Akira rolled his eyes lightly and leaned against the row of vandalized coin lockers.

 

 **Panther:** What was she doing there?

 **Skull:** Told ya she was keepin an eye on us

 **Fox:** Did you find anything, Joker?

 **Joker:** Less than I’d like.

 **Joker:** Let’s meet up and discuss. We won’t find anything more today.

 **Panther:** Oh, then how about we go to karaoke? It’s going to be cheap after school, too

 **Fox:** I believe that is what they call hustle hour, yes?

 **Skull:** Dude, it’s muscle hour

 **Crow:** I believe the word you’re looking for is “happy hour”

 **Joker:** You frequent karaokes?

 **Crow:** No, but I frequent the Japanese language

 **Panther:** seriously guys. Muscle hour just sounds sweaty.

 

* * *

 

They met up in front of the karaoke and shuffled inside one of the larger booths, ordering their drinks. As they waited for them, Akira managed to explain in detail – with Morgana’s help – how did his investigation go and how it has ended, with Makoto interfering and their one lead being chased away. Ryuuji cursed under his breath, and Akira looked at Goro to see what fresh fury he was going to unleash at these news; only to be surprised. The detective was looking smug instead, playing with his phone as he listened.

“So we’re back to square one… what a waste of time.” Ann sighed, leaning back in her seat. “Should we try again tomorrow..? Though, someone else would need to be the bait… and someone would need to make sure Miss President doesn’t destroy this opportunity, too.”

“There’s not going to be the need for that.” Goro said quietly, with a sweet, serene smile that made Akira both roll his eyes at him and smile softly back. He has been suspecting the detective had some plan, ever since he saw him act so calm and unbothered by Makoto’s appearance. Now, his suspicions have only been confirmed.

“What do you mean? We need the name!” Ann frowned, looking at the detective, who crossed his legs and sipped on his iced tea before setting it elegantly down on the table, obviously basking in them staring in confusion.

“Ah, but we so happen to have the name already.”

“…what?”

“While you all were running about Shibuya, I have decided to spend my time productively as well. I had a little chat with Sae-san over the phone, you see; in exchange for my latest… erm… deductions concerning the Phantom Thieves, I requested she gives me brief information on the people the SIU is currently building their cases around.”

“Wasn’t it supposed to be dangerous for you to inquire about the case?” Akira frowned, feeling worry bloom in his chest.

“Ah, but it wasn’t the phishing scandals I asked about. I cited a talk I had with a supposed friend who happens to be a fan of the Phantom Thieves; how the general public thinks they are going to go after a wanted criminal next. Since I ridiculed them during my interview and they might definitely want to make sure the public opinion is satisfied, this was a plausible conclusion; and so the information was needed for the investigation purposes. There are sufficiently many of the people she gave me info on that it would be impossible for her to be suspicious about me demanding it even after we take down the one we’re after. If anything, this will only strengthen my position as a valuable member of the investigation team.” Goro grinned lightly, watching all of their awed faces as they listened to him. Akira felt himself grin, a strange feeling of both pride and admiration swelling in his chest. It was easy to forget just how damn smart Goro really was; and here they had the clear reminder of it.

“…as expected from Crow! You’re amazing!”

“Yeah man, that’s what it means to have a detective on our team!”

“I will happily accept these words of praise some other time.” Goro smiled, though there was a little twinkle in his eyes that told Akira he wouldn’t mind standing here whole day listening to them praising him. “Well then. The name we’re looking for is Junya Kaneshiro. I’m positive it’s him.”

“Junya Kaneshiro, huh…” Akira smiled, pulling out his phone. As expected, the name was an instant hit; although it did make the raven wonder just how on Earth was he supposed to get to Shinjuku and meet up with Ohya, Chihaya and everyone else there now that they knew it. Well, perhaps an opportunity will present itself; and if not, he’ll find a reason to go there, and a reason to get to know his future friends there, too.

“So… now we only need a place and a distortion.”

“We should start with the distortion. It’ll help narrow down the places.”

Ann nodded, humming thoughtfully. “How about his actual hideout? He _is_ a mafia boss.”

The Meta-Nav rejected the first idea; and all of a sudden, they all looked at each other, realizing this might not be as easy as they hoped it would.

“Money laundry? Mansion? Castle? Palace?”

No hit, again. Goro sighed, rubbing his chin with his left hand, brow furrowed.

“I think we need to narrow it down first. He’s a mafia boss, yes… but the way he operates, with extortion and blackmail…”

“He’s obsessed with money.” Akira nodded, smiling lightly. “A bank.”

Ryuuji whooped when the Nav reacted, and Akira felt warmth spread in his chest as he saw Goro’s eyes narrow with a proud, sweet expression as he looked at him. Even if he guessed so easily only because he remembered it from the other future, it felt nice.

“Alright, bank it is! So… what’s he thinking of as his bank, then?”

“Maybe an actual one? There are so many here…”

“Then it wouldn’t have been a distortion, Lady Ann.” Morgana shook his head.

“Then perhaps the place he operates from? Some nightclub…?”

“Not a hit… damn, man, we can’t just keep listing all the effin buildings in all of Shibuya!”

They all stared, Ryuuji seemingly shocked most of them all when the app announced they had a hit. Akira grinned. The blond was truly a blessing, no matter the timeline and details being changed.

“…I said something right?”

“The keyword was _all of Shibuya_.” Goro observed, leaning close to Akira and looking over his shoulder at the phone before smiling up at the blond. “Great job!”

“He thinks of all of Shibuya as his personal bank..?”

“…man, that’s fucked up.”

“Should we go? Have a look around?”

Akira hesitated, before nodding softly. There was no time to waste – and not just because he had a date promised after they were done.

“Just for a quick look, then; once we’re out of the karaoke.” he said. They all nodded and gathered their things; and as they stepped outside, Akira activated the navigation, the world slowly dissolving around them as they disappeared once more into the Metaverse.

 

* * *

 

“Well, that was some colossal waste of time…”

Goro sighed, leaning against the railing in their hideout. As much as Akira wanted to point out they needed to see Kaneshiro’s palace first to get an idea of how they were going to need to infiltrate it at some point, he couldn’t really blame him, or anyone else, for complaining.

“Well, not a _complete_ waste, but still…” Morgana sighed, jumping back into Akira’s bag and nestling himself there.

“What’s our plan for now, then, Leader?”

“Stand-by.” Akira said decisively. “We won’t get any smarter by trying to get there again and again. Let’s gather our thoughts and come up with some ideas, and we’ll brainstorm them tomorrow.”

 _Tomorrow_ , echoed in Akira’s thoughts. Tomorrow, Makoto will get reckless, and become the part of their group. And tomorrow, he will somehow need to convince his overprotective boyfriend to stay behind and let him charge into Kaneshiro’s headquarters alone.

“Tomorrow it is.” Ann smiled, and they all confirmed their readiness before waving goodbye and slowly walking away; Ann and Ryuuji towards the underground gates, Yusuke back to the Central Street where Goro’s apartment complex was. Akira could feel his boyfriend linger with him as he, too, didn’t move, but as the worry and anxiety rose in his chest, for the first time since they started to officially date Akira couldn’t say he was happy Goro stayed behind to spend some time with him.

“…Akira? Everything alright?” the detective murmured, and the raven looked back at him, pushing his worries far to the back of his mind. He nodded softly, before looking away once more.

“Of course. I’m just wondering how should we get up to that flying bank, that’s all.” he lied smoothly. When did it become so _easy_ to lie? Akira realized, with certain amount of surprise, he didn’t even notice when telling little lies to everyone became a habit for him. He had to hide the truth that he knew exactly what will happen, after all, hadn’t he..?

“We’ll figure it out.” Goro said quietly, and Akira felt his boyfriend’s hand slip into his own.

“Goro, when we talked before… you’ve said Kaneshiro has ties to Shido, didn’t you?” he said, before he could stop himself. Goro frowned and hissed at him quietly, but did not pull his hand away. At least that was a good sign.

“Not so loud… but, yes. Why?”

“Well… suppose we’ll get to his Palace somehow. Maybe we’ll need to meet him, for him to admit us. What if… what if he sees you?”

“…he won’t.”

“Okay, but what if—”

“I said he won’t, Akira.” Goro said stubbornly, and Akira felt his worry level only rise. Now he was _sure_ he needed to find a way for Goro to stay away from the hideout tomorrow, if just for long enough to give Makoto time to approach them. But how to keep him away?

“…let’s not talk about it anymore today, alright?” Goro murmured quietly, squeezing Akira’s hand. “Let’s talk about something else. Like the date you’re taking me on after we’re done with this mess.”

Akira made himself smile as he looked back at Goro; and then, an idea flew into his mind. It was… _bad,_ admittedly, and he wouldn’t be surprised if Goro got majorly pissed off at him for it, but then… what were his other options? Clearing his throat, Akira smiled a little wider, leaning softly against Goro’s side.

“On that note… I was about to ask you a little favour. See… I need to consult something about my date plan with the rest of the thieves, but… I really want it to be a surprise for you. So…”

“So?” Goro hummed, looking at him with mild surprise.

“So,” Akira continued, feeling guilt gnaw at his heart. “Tomorrow… could you come some half-an-hour later than the meeting time we agreed on? And then we’ll proceed with the Palace.”

 

* * *

 

Akira’s sleep has been an uneasy one that night. Worry for the detective; for all of them, really; guilt over the trick he pulled to keep his boyfriend safe; anticipation of Makoto’s awakening, and the gnawing feeling that everything – everything – was going way too well for them to last for long. And Goro, with his insistence he will be alright, working as the triple agent for them while slowly working out his own agenda was no less stressful to think about.

Akira twisted and turned on the bed, until Morgana jumped off in annoyance and curled up on the couch. The raven was grateful for that – having the cat hiss and whine at him for not sleeping didn’t really help his stress-brought insomnia. Like this, alone, able to make himself comfortable on the sorry excuse of a bed he had, Akira might be able to get at least some rest. And yet, as – after minutes of overthinking turned into hours, and the raven was finally able to fall into an uneasy sleep – it was not rest he has been given. For instead of some non-descript dream or even the familiar blue hue of the Velvet Room, it was something else entirely that greeted him when he had closed his eyes…

 

_The feeling of dread was overbearing; like hardly anything ever has been. Akira looked around in panic, the red hue cast over the world too familiar for him to ever forget._

_The jagged bones covering up the sky; the red, slimy rain that covered them in the nightmare that was the Metaverse breaching over their world. And Yaldabaoth; the faint cackling of the false god resounding all around him, trapping him in the clutches of fear._

_Akira saw his friends; falling, one after the other, to the ground. He couldn’t move; he couldn’t_ breathe _as he watched them all scream and cry in fear and panic as their bodies disappeared, disintegrating into nothingness before his eyes. He tried to reach out; to speak, to do anything… but it was useless. Ryuuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, even Morgana… they faded away in front of him, reaching out, begging him to help them._

_And he could do nothing._

_“No matter how hard you fight, this will all simply happen once more.” whispered a voice in his ear; deep and jagged and cruel, a voice that Akira had never wanted to hear again. “Do you think you can bear it again? Do you think you can take it, to knowingly thrust your friends into this kind of fate?”_

_The false god cackled into his ear again, and Akira felt his whole body shuddering in dread he couldn’t even put into words._

_“You may think, it will be alright; after all, you will simply take your friends back again from me. Tell me… do you really think I will make it this simple? That I will simply let you win?”_

_Another cackle, and another surge of fear going through Akira’s heart. Was this a dream, or something more? In all of his plans and ideas for how to change this future he remembered, Akira has never once considered things could go very different without his interference. They shouldn’t. He won’t let them get themselves erased… he’ll fight Yaldabaoth… he will, only…_

_“Only this time, you will not be able to get them back. You have been locked away from my Velvet Room, after all… and your friends, along with everything else, shall be in my power this time. Should you rise against me… You will not only see them disappear here. You will see them_ die _…”_

 _Akira wanted to move; wanted to reply, to do_ anything _to shut up the voice cackling, whispering into his ear. He wanted to close his eyes, at least, not to watch his friends’ fading, anguished faces as they died before him, because of him. But he could do nothing._

_He was entirely powerless._

_And then…_

_“You will see_ all of them _die, Trickster. And what will your conviction matter_ then _?”_

_“Akira!”_

_A voice was feeble and filled with more fear than Akira has ever heard in it; and the crimson eyes he has come to adore were now blown wide and filled with panic. Goro was reaching out to him; and all of a sudden, Akira_ could _move. He dropped to his knees in front of the boy, reaching out to him, taking his hands in his; only to let out a choked sob when his hands went right through Goro’s quickly disintegrating body._

_“Akira! Help me, please! Do something! Akira!”_

_“Is this what you truly want, Trickster..?” came the voice as Akira watched, powerless, as Goro writhed on the ground, slowly fading away with the rest of them._

_“Continue on your path… keep imagining you have the power to alter fate. It will be amusing to watch you come to me in the end, begging for forgiveness…”_


	20. Conviction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves gain access to Kaneshiro's Palace and welcome a new ally to their group; Akira tries to cope with his responsibility as a leader suddenly becoming all too real. 
> 
> Meanwhile, things appear not as they should be in the Metaverse.

Akira expected many things when he has been given his memories of the first run. He expected things to feel strange, as the memories he already had got overwritten with the ones he received this time around. He expected the feeling of confusion and uneasiness to be his daily companion as sometimes, he’d wake up wondering what day it was, what month, and whether all of it wasn’t just some strange dream his tortured mind conjured up. He had also expected some events to change, and certain things that didn’t have a reason to happen before come to pass this time around.

Still, the punch in the face _was_ a bit of a surprise.

“ _Goro!_ ”

Ann’s shocked gasp sounded surprisingly loud in his ear; Akira stumbled, eyes wide as his hand shot up to his cheek.

_It hurt._

The raven stared at Goro’s enraged face, before looking away as he straightened up, biting his lip.

“…I deserved that.”

“Oh, _really_?” Goro sneered, his hands still clenched as he shook in silent fury.

“Akechi-kun…”

“ _You_ shut up. I’m angry at _him_ at the moment, and that’s the only reason I’m not punching _you_ in the face, Niijima-san.”

In hindsight, Akira had to admit Goro did have a reason to be angry.

The day had started on a bad note already. It was Morgana who woke him up last night, jumping on his chest until he has finally been pulled away from the tortureous dream. Yaldabaoth had forced him to watch his friends disappear again and again, forced him to try – and fail – to comfort them as they disintegrated into nothingness. The god has been merciless in tormenting him, and Akira woke up covered in sweat and with his cheeks wet from tears. Morgana actually allowed himself to be cuddled for comfort, he was in such a bad state. And yet, when his friend feebly suggested he call Goro, or at least tell _him_ what the dream was all about, Akira refused stubbornly, clenching his fists so hard his fingernails bit into his skin.

Call Goro…? What would he tell him, _or_ tell Morgana, for that matter? That he saw the future, and that they were all dead in it? That they should stop doing what they did and simply give up, surrender to Yaldabaoth so that when it comes time to fight him, Akira will be the only one who disappears, only to reappear again? They were all in too deep right now to give up; and yet Akira _wished_ they would. This was his fight – his responsibility. And he did not want his friends to risk their lives for something he _knew_ was his own destiny.

The morning came with Akira still sitting stiffly on his makeshift bed, with Morgana curled up beside him, his thoughts in a jumble. What if it was just a dream..? Somehow, Akira didn’t believe it was. But then, that meant Yaldabaoth was aware of his existence; and of the result of the previous _game_ Akira had played through. And if that was the case…

Was what the god had said… the truth..? Was he really leading his friends towards _this_..? He couldn’t be… _could he_? Igor and Lavenza would never allow something like this…

He had no time for the nightmares to occupy his mind for much longer during the day, though. Throughout his classes, Akira wrecked his brain with worry as he wondered whether Goro will keep his promise and come late. Lying, and lying in _this_ way to his boyfriend felt terrible; and yet, Akira couldn’t think of any other way. He was desperate by now; and when, after classes, he made a beeline for their hideout and saw just the three of the Thieves there, waiting for him, he felt truly happy _not_ to see Goro there, for once.

So at least his plan had worked. Makoto appeared not long after he did, and as she ran off to grant them the meeting with Kaneshiro, they only left Morgana at the hideout to wait for Goro and follow them. By the time he showed up and did get to where they were, Akira, Ann, Yusuke, Ryuuji and Makoto were already out of the nightclub they have charged into moments before, with blackmail hanging over their heads. They have become official clients of one Junya Kaneshiro. Goro has caught them as they were discussing the debt; shaking and pale with worry and anger at being left behind, he welcomed Akira with a punch to the face, and the raven seriously couldn’t blame him. It actually felt… somewhat good. Like some of the gnawing guilt and worry has been lifted away from his heart.

“Dude… you need to chill a bit…” Ryuuji murmured, stepping between the two of them, as Yusuke went to Goro and gently held him back with a hand on his shoulder. Akira shook his head, Makoto and Ann standing on either side of him as Morgana looked at all of them with a frown.

“…I’m sorry for leaving you behind, Goro.” Akira said quietly, looking down at his feet. “Things were happening so fast, we had to run, and there was no time to wait for you.”

Akira risked a look up. Goro’s jaw tightened as he listened to him, and yet the next moment he frowned; because Akira looked away again, trying to calm himself down. Unbidden, the image of this same face and these same eyes, fearful, begging for his help while disappearing from this world shone in his memory; and it was very close to too much.

“…I’ll be more angry with you later.” the detective finally said, looking away as well before glaring at Makoto, who looked more than a little shaken. “Now tell me _exactly_ what fresh hell have you gotten us into this time, Niijima-san.”

As Makoto explained – apologizing to them again and again, until all of them, even Goro, finally told her to shut up about it – Akira barely listened. Ever since the morning he felt tired and shaken up, but only with all of them here – well, save for Haru and Futaba, but his last friends will need to wait just a little bit longer – did he truly feel the damage Yaldabaoth’s torture has dealt him. It was hard to listen to them all; hard to watch their distressed faces that were so close to what he has seen in his dream.

Goro has been very close to hitting someone again when Makoto summarized their current situation to him; and probably would, if not for Morgana pointing out that whatever the method, she has granted them entrance to Kaneshiro’s bank. Most of their moods picked up at this; but Akira still remained quiet and trying his hardest to act normally, while Goro looked torn between grudging acceptance, worry and confusion at how the raven was acting.

“…very well. I suppose it _is_ a good development, still…” the detective’s eyes strayed to Akira, and the raven did his best to smile. Goro only frowned at him.

“So, wanna go check it out?” Ryuuji hummed, pulling out his smartphone. Akira nodded at this, pulling himself together; only for Goro to raise his hand and stop the blond from activating the app.

“Are we alright going to check _now_?” he asked, looking pointedly at Akira. “We can wait…”

“No, it’s fine.” Akira had said curtly and nodded at Ryuuji; and with Makoto in tow, they saw the world shift and slip away around them, as they entered the Metaverse.

 

* * *

 

Perhaps for the first time since he had started his second run, Akira found the _déjà vu_ effect comforting, rather than distressing and headache-inducing. As they explained what they knew of the Metaverse to Makoto; as they told her their nicknames, their way of operating and rode up the path opened to them by the recent development, he let himself slip into the familiarity of it all, broken up only by the constant presence of Goro; and his worried, quizzical glances at him all the way up to the Palace.

He tried not to pay attention to it; and instead focused on Makoto, making a point of keeping watch over her – as she was still not awakened yet – and explain the few last things needing explanation as they went. He had earned a few rare smiles for his troubles, and had to admit it calmed him down a bit. Makoto being on their team again helped with the familiarity, and protecting her gave Akira a purpose; something to focus on that was not the future and dangers it could bring. He needed something like that, and desperately.

As they were led to the room with the mountain of cash on the table, what calm Akira managed to claw out during their walk here vanished; and he felt nervous and trapped once more, watching cautiously as Kaneshiro appeared on the screen, playing at the mock-negotiation with them. It didn’t go any different from how it went before; and yet, there was a dark feeling of foreboding in the pit of his stomach as Akira watched the first two Oni appear when Kaneshiro called for them. He tried to shake it off, readying himself for a fight.

_Calm down. You’ve fought these things before, and defeated them. It won’t be any harder the second time around, will it?_

Only, it turned out to be just that. The first hit Akira landed barely hurt the thick-skinned creature; and so did Goro’s, Ryuuji’s and Ann’s, all of their efforts barely putting a _scratch_ on them. And then, the thing attacked and Akira yelled out, close to panic as Ryuuji has been thrown against the wall with an unpleasant _crack_ coming from somewhere inside him, and sliding down to the floor with a groan.

_Why..? Why were these things so… damn… strong..?_

“Joker!” he heard Goro’s yell, and nodded, shaking himself off. He ran to Ryuuji’s aid as Goro did his best to hold off another hit before it could send Ann right after the blond, Yusuke keeping guard over Makoto as she stared at their struggles with wide eyes. Akira heard Ryuuji curse as he leaned against his arm and spat out the blood that gathered in his mouth; and he raised his Nataraja and shot the damn Oni in the face, blinding it for a moment as he yelled.

“Out! We need to run, don’t fight these things! Come on!”

Run they did, with Goro wordlessly slipping under Ryuuji’s other arm to support him as they escaped. The door were still blocked by more guards, and Akira could feel Goro curse beside him. This… this was _wrong_. This… _it wasn’t this bad before. They weren’t this strong before_.

“Kaneshiro!”

The bastard’s cackle and Makoto’s fear as she looked all around them made Akira gain his focus again. Goro still kept close; he could _see_ how worried his boyfriend was, how confused they all were. Akira wasn’t the only one surprised by the disparity in strengths between the previous Palaces and the shadows here. As Kaneshiro started to talk, though, the old rage surged through all of them; and Akira found his fear lessening as his old feelings came back. As he listened to the damn mafia boss gloat and tell all of them just what futures he had planned for them – and for Sae, too – Akira felt his anger bubble and momentarily overcome the panic he felt churning down in his stomach for the whole day now.

He wasn’t the only one. Makoto was positively shaking with barely-contained fury. She needed only the last push, the last nudge in the right direction. And yet, before Akira could open his mouth to provide just that, he watched Goro step up; jaw set and hands shaking lightly in fury similar to the one he saw once already, back in Kamoshida’s Palace.

“Yapping away about Sae-san, as if that woman would ever do what you told her to…” the detective snarled at shadow Kaneshiro, before looking to the side at Makoto, his eyes burning with anger.

“You’re going to shut him up with me, or do I do all the work for you as usual?”

Akira didn’t hear what Makoto had replied; he wasn’t sure if she even _had_ a reply. And as the blue flames enveloped her and Johanna spoke and appeared, the raven fell in with the two of them and Yusuke, as Ann and Morgana tended to Ryuuji behind their backs. He could still hear his friends’ words as _they_ spoke, however.

“Is that… a Persona?”

“Dude, that’s a bike.”

Akira felt himself smile as he nodded.

“Let’s just agree that whatever it is, it’s _awesome_.”

 

* * *

 

“Man, talk about wild… That was no aikido, that was some hardcore ass whoopin’!”

They were back at the hideout; Akira leaning to the side against the railing, Ryuuji crouching down next to Makoto as he patiently waited for his wounds – the ones Ann and Morgana didn’t manage to heal yet – to fade away once they entered the real world.

Akira felt exhausted; and the idea of talking and going through their situation once more after what they had just faced seemed simply too tedious for him. For now, he allowed himself to lean back and rest, trying to fight the anxiety raising like bile from his stomach once more. Makoto was one of them now – and just yesterday, he would have been happy for it. Today, however… what if by allowing what just happened to happen, he was simply leading another one of his friends towards death…?

All around him, watching as Makoto tried to catch her breath, his friends seemed thankfully unaware of his turmoil. Gods, how long could he keep it up..? Especially with Goro, leaning now against his side and looking at him with eyes questioning and worried…

“I’m SO not pissing her off.” Ann chimed in, looking down at Makoto with wide eyes. “I feel like she’ll rip off my arm.”

“I have no such concerns.” Goro murmured briefly, though it wasn’t very loud. Akira almost managed to smile as he realized that the detective tried very hard not to be impressed.

“Oh, stop it…” Makoto groaned, slowly pulling herself up as Yusuke pulled Ryuuji to his feet, too. “This is the most exhausted I’ve ever gotten these past few years. But… it felt pretty great.”

“Well, being a Phantom Thief requires stamina, Niijima-san.” Goro said, louder this time. “I would advise you not to go chasing after the _pretty great_ feeling, considering you are obviously not fit to—”

“You’re being an ass, Goro.” Ann rolled her eyes, and Goro huffed, looking back at Akira – not worriedly this time, but with mute request for back-up. The raven smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

“I mean… we all got extremely tired after our awakenings.” he tried feebly. Judging by the daggers Goro shot at him for it, he did not do well. And what Makoto said next did not improve the detective’s mood.

“I never thought I’d become a part of the Phantom Thieves I was after… Sis might faint if she found out.”

Goro scoffed at that; moving a little away from Akira as he crossed his arms over his chest and stood before Makoto.

“Oh, so you’re a Phantom Thief now, are you?”

“…well, since I have awakened to this power, as well…” Makoto murmured, taken aback.

“I don’t remember us accepting you joining our group.” Goro’s eyes narrowed, and though the rest of them looked slightly sheepish, Yusuke and Ann at least nodded slowly, not meeting Makoto’s eyes. The girl frowned, blushing slightly as she looked at them in defiance.

“Well, I dare say it would only be natural if I joined. I am your key to Kaneshiro’s Palace, after all, and besides, you could use some _brains_ in your group, for once!”

Goro’s eyes _flashed_ at that; but before he could say anything, Akira’s voice interrupted him. The raven found he couldn’t take it anymore. He was tired, tired and _scared_ , and listening to his friends arguing for no reason whatsoever made his state only worse.

“I have no problems with her joining.” he said, and though his voice was quiet, it made them all fall silent and listen. “The shadows in that place were too strong for us; another member of the team will do us good. Besides, she knows too much for us to just go our separate ways. I will listen to you if you have any arguments against, but later, when we’re all rested and calmed down. Now can you _please_ stop arguing so we can all go home?”

The last part came out in a more annoyed voice than Akira wanted it to; and for the first time, it seemed that not just Goro, but _all of them_ noticed just in what state Akira was. Looking quietly at one another, they nodded, and Makoto smiled feebly as they welcomed her – cautiously – into the group.

“I’ll… try not to disappoint.” she said quietly, and Akira nodded.

“Try not to.” Goro replied, but he shook his head and walked to Akira before she could answer with another snide remark, taking his hand in his.

“Alright. Let’s get you home.” he said quietly.

 

* * *

 

“I’d offer to make you a coffee, but I’m afraid Boss might kill both of us if I touch his things, so how about you just sit down and tell me what’s the matter, Akira?”

Just how tired and shaken Akira still had to be, not to have noticed that they were already at the station, and Goro was tugging him towards the exit and towards Leblanc, he will never know. The café was already closed for the night, and that was just as well – if he had to be interrogated, Akira preferred it be just his boyfriend and Morgana there, and not Sojiro as well.

Goro helped him up the stairs – Akira was more tired than he gave himself credit for – and the raven tried to sound convincing as he answered the question.

“I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t sleep well tonight, it’s…”

“He had nightmares whole night.” Morgana said, jumping out of his bag and onto the couch as Goro slowly manoeuvred them to sit on the bed, blinking at the information. He zoomed in on Akira, frowning at him. The raven almost wanted to laugh. This… this was all wrong. _He_ was the one who was supposed to be comforting Goro as the boy opened up to him, seeking help and understanding… this… this was all wrong…

“Those were just nightmares, it’s _fine._ ” he insisted, looking away from the two of them. God, he felt tired. If he could only just sleep, tomorrow he’ll go to the Velvet Room and ask Lavenza and Igor for advice. _They_ had to know what was happening, right? They _had_ to be able to help him somehow.

“Seriously. I should have asked us to wait before going into Metaverse after a sleepless night, that’s all. You don’t need to worry.”

“Really? Because you’ve been acting weird whole day, barely talked to any of us, ran off after a girl you barely knew into Mafia headquarters and almost got us all killed by a shadow in a Palace. You’re distracted, tired and you keep looking at me and everyone as if you’re seeing ghosts, and I _don’t know what to do_ , so I _am_ going to worry, you idiot.” Goro sighed, before looking away, biting his lip as he frowned.

“…do you not want to tell me? Is that it, am I the problem? Is it because these nightmares… were about me? The last one was…”

Akira bit his lip, about to say that no, no, it _was_ a different one, that one, the terrifying one with the watertight door falling and gunshots resounding was long forgotten already, since Akira was now _certain_ he will not allow this to happen. And yet, as he opened his mouth to do so, his words died on his lips. What came out instead was a strangled sob because he remembered – remembered _so well_ Goro’s hands passing through his own, his body disintegrating; he remembered Ann’s terrified scream and Ryuuji’s pained groans, he remembered seeing Yusuke’s face frozen in fear, Futaba’s panic and Makoto and Haru trembling and whimpering as they all faded away. Even Morgana… everyone…

“Akira…?”

There was desperation in Goro’s voice; and the next moment, Akira looked up as he heard the detective stammer.

“Akira, I don’t know what to do… should I… can I hug you?”

The raven didn’t even register willing his head to nod; he only felt it do so, and felt the other’s arms wrap hesitantly, awkwardly around him. Goro was so perfectly _solid_ , warm, his scent strong in Akira’s nostrils, the fabric of his shirt soft under his fingers as they twisted in it. It was like suddenly having an anchor; something grounding him into reality, into here and now, something to chase the fear away…

“…it wasn’t just you this time.” Akira choked out.

“All of us?” Goro whispered, and as Akira hesitated, he felt his boyfriend sigh and pull back, only to cup his cheeks in his hands as he stared at him with a frown. “Look, I’m… I seriously… this is a first for me. And I’m not sure how to help in such a situation. So _please_ talk to me..? I always feel better after _I_ talk to _you_ …”

“Goro, it’s…”

_It’s just that I’m living my life the second time over only so that I can help you and save your life, and in the end, I might just end up leading you right into your death even so. It’s just that I am no longer sure what I should do and how. It’s just that up until now, knowing this game, I never thought I could lose… And I never realized how high the stakes are the second time over._

“I’m sorry.” he whispered in the end, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch on his cheeks. “Being the leader, I shouldn’t have let something like a nightmare hit me this hard… I lost focus in the Palace, too, I…”

“Stop avoiding the topic and talk to me, you idiot! It’s not about you losing focus, is it?”

Goro was looking at him with desperation again; and before he could do anything about it, Akira felt his eyes water as he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Goro’s shoulder. He was so warm, and his scent was more comforting than the raven thought was possible. And, somehow… for once, he decided to simply go along with what Goro told him.

“…I’m sorry.” he whispered quietly again, closing his eyes. “It’s just… That nightmare, it wasn’t a normal one. It felt real. And I had to go through it again and again last night. I didn’t know how much it hit me until I saw all of you, and we were already out of time and we had to investigate, and…”

“…can you tell me what was the nightmare about?”

“It was us… all of us. All of the Phantom Thieves. And we were disappearing. You were all writhing on the ground as your bodies dissolved into thin air, screaming, begging me for help, and… I couldn’t do anything.”

Akira shook, and he felt Goro’s arms wrap around him again – somehow less awkwardly this time. It made him feel, ridiculously, like it didn’t matter what he dreamt about. It made him feel like everything will be alright.

“…was I there, too?”

“You most of all. You were the only one I could reach to… and see my hands just pass through you as you dissolved, too.” Akira shuddered again, taking in a sharp breath. Goro’s hold on him tightened.

“I’m here. I’m alive, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, but…”

“Akira… I’m not going to die on you. I won’t leave you alone to fend for yourself. Not ever, do you understand?”

“I do… but I don’t think you do, too.” the raven shook his head. “It’s… I don’t doubt your strength or anything. But what if… as your leader, what if what I’m leading you towards is death..?”

Akira let out a long sigh; it felt… weirdly good, to speak it out. The one thought that continued to beat around his head ever since he woke up from the nightmare Yaldabaoth bestowed upon him. Ever since he realized that this was not just a game after all.

“…sometimes it does surprise me, how stupid you are.” he heard Goro’s sigh, and blinked as he felt the other’s arms loosen their hold as the detective leaned back, looking at him with serious, if exasperated expression.

“Akira, we may have chosen you as our leader, but none of us are following you blindly. I doubt you can even say we are following you at all. All of us have our own agenda. I’m working towards having my revenge; Ann wants to give people courage. Ryuuji wants to be a hero and Yusuke works as a Phantom Thief in order to broaden his artistic horizons.”

“And I want to become human again.” Morgana pinched in, nudging Akira’s side.

“And whatever imbecile and naïve reason Niijima-san might have, I am quite certain it is not anyhow connected to you or your goals. You think too highly of yourself, Akira. However we all end up… it will be our own choices and our own decisions that led us there. Not something you need to feel responsible for.”

For a long time, all Akira could do was stare as he slowly took in what the detective told him. Now that he actually stopped and thought of it a bit, he _was_ right. Perhaps not entirely about the fact that Akira wasn’t responsible for whatever happened to him and his friends, but… Perhaps he _was_ thinking too highly of himself. Perhaps, now that he _knew_ he was special, that he was a Wild Card, that he knew the future – perhaps he considered himself too important. Perhaps in the end, he couldn’t change all the bad things that ever happened to them. But, perhaps… that was alright.

With a brief flash of embarrassment, Akira thought of what his former self – his self from the first run –would have done. No way he would have let a nightmare bother him then. No way he would have let a false god tell him how he was going to end up. He would have broken the rules and charged into the world knowing all of the odds were against him; and come out triumphant in the end.

_…what happened to my spirit of rebellion? Did I really change this much to let Yaldabaoth, of all things, dictate my fate?_

Slowly, Akira smiled; leaning back and looking up at his boyfriend. For a little moment, he remained quiet, before pulling Goro into a tight hug.

“…thanks.” he murmured softly. “For telling me all this. And for pulling my head out of my ass.”

“That’s what boyfriends are for, I hear.” Akira could hear a smile in Goro’s voice as he felt the other’s arms wrap around him for the third time this evening, and finally feeling natural and like they belonged there. “Next time you have a nightmare, call, okay? So we don’t end up dead in the Metaverse because you were distracted imagining us so.”

“…understood.”

“See, this is why I always tell you to get enough sleep.” Morgana meowed, and Akira felt himself smile.

“To be entirely honest, though… it made me a bit happy.” Goro murmured, tightening his hold on him. “It’s my turn to comfort you and make you feel better, for once.”

“Mhm. And you did well.”

“Will you be okay?”

There was still worry in Goro’s voice; and ridiculously, Akira felt a surge of feeling; feeling strong and sweet and almost painful in his chest as he listened to it, as he melted into the tight hug that grounded him in reality and promised that everything will be alright – that, though he did not win yet, Yaldabaoth did not, either.

“I will.” he said, with conviction in his voice. “Maybe not right away… but I definitely will be okay. And so will be the rest of us.”

 

* * *

 

 **Goro:** ok I’m home

 **Akira:** thanks for letting me know

 **Akira:** you could have stayed over you know

 **Goro:** Akira, there will come a day when you’re in bad enough shape I will consider breaking the one rule Boss set for us

 **Goro:** today is not that day, however

 **Akira:** bad enough shape? I think you mean good enough shape

 **Akira:** admittedly today I’m way too tired to do anything so

 **Goro:** aha

 **Goro:** I can see you’re back to your sense of humour, unfortunately

 **Goro:** at least I know you feel better now

 **Goro:** which means I can go back to being mad at you

 **Akira:**????

 **Akira:** Goro?

 **Akira:** oh come on you can’t possibly still be mad at me for today

 **Akira:** heeeeeeeey I apologized for leaving you behind it was really last minute

 **Akira:** and I’m sorry I took Makoto’s side and let her join without making her beg jeez

 **Goro:** first-name basis with her already, are you?

 **Akira:** you’re being an ass

 **Akira:** …I’m sorry I said bikes are awesome?

 **Goro:** I don’t see why should you be. I ride bikes

 **Akira:** you ride /bicycles/, Goro

 **Akira:** …Goro?

 

 

 **DaVinci:** Good evening, Akira

 **Theo:** what is it, Yusuke?

 **DaVinci:** Goro would like me to tell you that, I quote

 **DaVinci:** “You’re a jerk and he’s not talking to you anymore”

 **Theo:** …thanks Yusuke

 **DaVinci:** It wasn’t a problem. Have a pleasant night.


	21. Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days later, Akira and Goro have a serious conversation about the choices they've been making, and decide on a little change in their infiltration plans. Akira enlists the help of his friends with his newest quest and receives a concerned visitor at Leblanc.

**Goro:** Good morning

 **Akira:** oh, hello

 **Akira:** are you talking to me again?

 **Goro:** …how did you sleep?

 **Akira:** hm

 **Akira:** if I say I had terrifying nightmares last two nights and need you to come and hug me, will you?

 **Goro:** I’m still mad at you

 **Akira:** they really were terrifying

 **Akira:** I dreamt my boyfriend kept ignoring me and I woke up crying

 **Akira:** had to cuddle Morgana for comfort and everything

 **Goro:** …you treat this like some kind of a joke

 **Akira:** Goro, I just don’t understand why are you mad at me

 **Akira:** it can’t be just because of the Makoto thing

 **Akira:** you’ve been ignoring my messages ever since the night before last

 **Akira:** admittedly I… needed some space, from everyone

 **Akira:** but you being silent and ignoring me for something I don’t even understand is definitely not a joke for me

 **Goro:** …hey

 **Goro:** just don’t lie to me ok?

 **Goro:** did you know Niijima-san was going to pull that stunt and asked me to come later on purpose?

 **Goro:** I admit, it could have been coincidence

 **Goro:** but Ann said you barely had time to start discussing our date and it’s not like you’ve asked them all beforehand for it

 **Goro:** so why was I the only one..?

 **Goro:** the only reason I could deduce was you knowing something dangerous was going to happen

 **Goro:** and wanting me out of it

 **Akira:** …I didn’t know for certain

 **Goro:** but you did know

 **Goro:** you lied to me

 **Akira:** I didn’t

 **Akira:** stop typing and let me explain myself, please

 **Akira:** we needed to do something to gain access to Kaneshiro’s Palace

 **Akira:** we spoke about this

 **Akira:** whether with shido, with police, with the mafia itself

 **Akira:** you’d have been screwed for sure if Kaneshiro saw you and got dirt on you somehow

 **Akira:** I wasn’t sure anything would happen

 **Akira:** but on the rare chance it could

 **Akira:** I was going to keep you away from the danger zone as long as I could

 **Akira:** even if it meant telling you to stay on standby instead of investigating with us. Even if it was just half an hour I needed to consult Ann, Ryuuji and Yusuke anyway

 **Akira:** now I’m done

 **Akira:** you can commence yelling at me

 **Goro:** …

 **Goro:** if Kaneshiro got me on that picture, things would have been worse than they are now

 **Goro:** I admit that

 **Goro:** only he wouldn’t, because I wouldn’t have let all of you run up there

 **Akira:** and you’d leave Makoto there?

 **Goro:** Akira, if it meant keeping you out of danger, I’d throw her off a cliff anytime

 **Goro:** you’re free to hate it about me

 **Goro:** but I don’t care about anyone else when it comes to you and the Phantom Thieves being safe

 **Goro:** that your actions ended up in the logically best possible outcome is infuriating

 **Goro:** because I can’t even be mad at you. as our leader, you’ve made a good choice

 **Goro:** as my boyfriend, though

 **Goro:** …I don’t know

 **Goro:** I hate that I try to type all the reasons why I hate you setting me up and keep deleting because I’d do the same

 **Goro:** if it meant keeping you safe

 **Akira:** at this point? I don’t think I’m capable of hating anything about you

 **Akira:** and…

 **Akira:** if it meant I’d keep you safe… keep everyone safe…

 **Akira:** I’d

 **Goro:**..?

 **Akira:** let’s go on a date

 **Goro:** …excuse me?

 **Akira:** we have a way to access Kaneshiro’s Palace now

 **Akira:** we need to train and prepare anyway

 **Akira:** and I need this

 **Akira:** can’t you give me one day out of our before-Palace fever where we’re just teenagers on a date instead of Phantom Thieves fighting against dangers that can get us killed every day?

**Goro:**

**Goro:** fine

 **Goro:** Saturday

 **Goro:** should I dress somehow special?

 **Akira:** smart casual will be good

 **Goro:** alright

 **Goro:** Akira?

 **Akira:** yes?

 **Goro:** I’m sorry I punched you. and that I kept quiet

 **Akira:** No, I understand

 **Akira:** I’m sorry I kept you away

 **Goro:** I understand, too

 **Akira:** btw

 **Akira:** were you really jealous of Makoto

 **Goro:** listen the only side my boyfriend should ever be taking is my own

 **Goro:** make a note of that one for the future, will you?

 **Goro:** plus she was just infuriating

 **Goro:** “I guess I’m a PT now” wth so we don’t get a say in this anymore? anyone can come up and invite themselves in?

 **Goro:** and she had the gall to say we’ll need brains on our team

 **Goro:** I’m the brains

 **Akira:** I agree. You are devilishly smart and it’s actually super hot when you show it off

 **Akira:** before you say anything no no way I’d be able to say that irl

 **Goro:** hm

 **Goro:** I’ll take you along on a case with me sometime

 **Akira:** ( ♥ ω ♥ )

 **Akira:** my boyfriend is the best

 

Akira smiled softly at his phone, turning the messenger app off and setting it down on his chest. He was laying on the bed, in the rare moment of freedom before Morgana will come skipping up the stairs to tell him breakfast was ready and that if he won’t hurry it up, he’ll be late for school.

Yesterday, as much as it was tiring and worrying to only have contact with Goro through Yusuke’s carefully worded messages, Akira was indeed glad he had some time to think things through. First and foremost, right after school, he made a beeline for Velvet Room; and the long talk he had with Igor and Lavenza there made him wish, more than ever, that Goro would find some other time to be pouty.

They were also aware of the dream he had; and confirmed what Akira had already suspected himself. Yaldabaoth was – to some degree, at least – aware of the second run situation he himself was in. To what degree he could, he was from now on obviously set on interfering; and Akira found out, with grim satisfaction, that it was not the Phantom Thieves’ existence and not Akira’s own actions that directly made Yaldabaoth move against them now, and not before or after.

The reason for all of that happening wasn’t them; it was Goro.

Akira had seen him again that day; in the depths of Velvet Room, in one of the cells. The detective was still asleep; but rather unlike the motionless, wax-faced puppet-like figure Akira has seen in that cell before, he was now flushed, turning in his sleep, animated, _alive_. He looked completely different – like he was going to wake up any minute. Lavenza and Igor explained to him that this was exactly what was happening. Goro, who has never received his invitation to the Velvet Room, who has never had guidance or advice, was now inching his way to get them both for himself. And Yaldabaoth did not like it. Akira saw the evidence saying as much.

There were chains there now; back then, when Akira first saw him, Goro’s motionless figure was not bound. Now, he was; golden chains wrapped around each of his wrists, tying him down to the hoop on the opposite side of the cell, heavy and unyielding, if unnecessarily ornamental.

Goro’s freedom in the Velvet Room was not the only thing Yaldabaoth could affect, however. Igor explained it to him. Though Akira was – for all intents and purposes – out of his reach most of the time, whenever his mind was particularly relaxed and unguarded – such as when he was sleeping – Yaldabaoth _could_ affect him. The dream he had – the torture he had endured – had greater influence on the Metaverse than Akira had initially expected, too.

Igor explained that to him, though in words much more difficult and twisty than Akira would like. Because the dream made the raven dread the fights they had in the Metaverse, his own mind – and power of conviction – together with Yaldabaoth’s meddling made the shadows more powerful than they were before. They were mercilessly strong now. And yet – with his conviction renewed and his heart calmed by the sight of Goro’s almost-awakened figure on the bed behind bars – Akira couldn’t bring himself to despair over the new hardship.

“It’s fine. We’ll just grow stronger, too, to match the opponent.” he had said to their explanations, and Lavenza beamed at him in reply, complimenting him on his conviction.

He was not going to let this go to waste. He was not going to let Goro, or anyone else get hurt. So Yaldabaoth was fighting back now – so what? He was still going to meet with a shot through the head. He was still going down; with all of their strengths combined, with all of their goals uniting into one.

Akira wasn’t meant to be this story’s lone hero, after all. And he will never again allow himself to think he was one.

Akira’s phone chimed again, and he picked it back up, smiling at the messages from Ryuuji, asking him what they were doing after school today, and whether they were planning to go to the Palace anytime soon. Well, they couldn’t rush it this time – they needed to train, and training meant going to Mementos… as well as working on spending time with his friends some more. Ryuuji did say he already knew what times does Yamauchi come to drink at the monjayaki place, so perhaps he should go there with him..?

 

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** we’ll go to Mementos on Thursday, ok? until then, wanna train in this world?

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** we could go scout out that mojayaki place

 **Thug:** tbh there’s no hurry?

 **Thug:** goro dug me up some dirt on yamauchi anyway

 **Thug:** I mean I still wanna go scout him out for myself but like no pressure

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** oh for real?

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** I didn’t even know

 **Thug:** lol mate if you came on runs with us you’d know

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** true my fault (シ_ _)シ

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** to be fair tho Ann had that thing with her co-worker so I had to go with her

 **Thug:** ya I know mate dw

 **Thug:** still we can go for monja this time

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** arcade after?

 **Thug:** sounds awesome

 **Thug:** after school?

 **Thug:** I’ll race you to the station

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** loser pays for monja?

 **Thug:** you’re gonna lose all your money today bro I aint going easy on you

 **Akira(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑:** bring it on

 

* * *

 

Spending an afternoon with Ryuuji was what Akira desperately needed at the moment. He didn’t even realize how much the blond could help with that – taking his mind of things and grounding it firmly in banter, in talk about food and adults’ shittiness. The visit to arcade together felt good, too, and once they were done losing all their change on round and round of Gun About and Mario Kart, Akira felt like he just came back from a long, relaxing vacation, with his mind pleasantly empty and Goro teasing him for losing the race to Ryuuji in his messages.

Akira was still smiling softly at the phone as he entered Leblanc, waving lightly at Sojiro as he welcomed him home.

“No date today?” the older man smiled as Akira set down his bag and Morgana jumped onto the counter, meowing happily when Sojiro gave him a bowl of leftovers to snack on. Akira grabbed his apron and got to washing the dishes.

“Date on Saturday.” he grinned back at Sojiro. “We’re going pretty classy, movies, restaurant, everything.”

“…restaurant?” Morgana perked up, only to groan when Akira pat his head.

“Hey, it’s a date. You’re not coming with us.” he rolled his eyes. And then, as Morgana sighed longingly, “…I’ll bring some nice food home, okay? And I’ll ask Ann to take you over for the night.”

“Perhaps I _can_ let you off the hook for one evening, then…”

“What are you going to wear?” Sojiro hummed, watching Akira talk to Morgana with brow raised, but not much surprise anymore. “I haven’t seen you wear anything even remotely fitting for a date, much less for a fancy one…”

Both Akira and Morgana stilled, hearing that. Sojiro sighed with exasperation.

“…you haven’t even thought of it, have you.”

_Shit._

It had to be some sight, the way Akira dried the last plate, almost threw it onto the shelf and scrambled to his phone, opening the messaging app at the speed of light.

 

 **SexyCat:** ANN

 **SexyCat:** ANN I NEED HELP

 **SexyCat:** It’s an emergency

 **WhipLady:** omg what happened?!

 **SexyCat:** Date on Saturday and I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR FOR IT

 **WhipLady:** …

 **WhipLady:** Akira YOU SCARED ME

 **SexyCat:** I’m sorry but I’ve got a crisis here ok?!

 **WhipLady:** Omg it’s like I’m having déjà vu

 **SexyCat:**??

 **WhipLady:** nvm

 **WhipLady:** tomorrow after mementos?

 **WhipLady:** we’re going tomorrow right?

 **WhipLady:** underground mall?

 **WhipLady:** you’re lucky I already have something in mind for u

 **SexyCat:** ily you know that?

 **WhipLady:** haha ur welcome

 **WhipLady:** maybe don’t let Goro-kun see this tho

 **SexyCat:** ♥

 

* * *

 

The trip to Mementos was long and tiring. Akira made them push onwards even as all of them were absolutely exhausted, but no one dared to complain. They all knew they needed to train – and Makoto perhaps most of all. She and Goro were obviously nurturing their buddying rivalry; even more so now than before that the girl caught up on the inner workings of the Metaverse and was actively pummelling down shadows just as Akira remembered her do. For every time he smiled at her for a job well done, Goro glared at him; but would get out of his way to annihilate the next shadow himself, smirking lightly whenever he landed a particularly devastating hit, or was asked by Akira to finish the job after he had knocked down the enemy.

At the end of it all, Akira was feeling a lot better about their team. Their teamwork visibly improved, they took care of the few requests from Phan-Site they needed to get done and their strength seemed to increase with every passed floor of Mementos. Though exhausted, they were all in good moods as they slipped back out of the Metaverse and leaned heavily against the railing in their hideout, allowing themselves a moment of rest before they’ll all head home. Akira longingly thought about his bed… or, perhaps, he could drop Morgana at Leblanc and pay a long, relaxing visit to the bathhouse. Before he could finish dreaming, though, Ann grinned and hugged his arm, pulling him and Ryuuji back with herself, the two boys stumbling as she did.

“So, training’s over, right? Bye bye!” she chimed. Yusuke nodded and started to very seriously pull Goro back in the other direction, talking about dinner as Makoto looked in confusion between them; both the boy detective and Akira only able to exchange rather confused smiles before they disappeared from each other’s view. Soon, Akira has been faced with Ann’s excitement as she kept pulling him and Ryuuji towards the stairs down.

“Alright, you’re all ours for the evening, Akira! You’re the one who asked for help, so no complaining, you hear me?”

“…why am _I_ even here?” Ryuuji rubbed the back of his neck.

“Shush you, I need a guy’s perspective on this one.”

“Lady Ann, I’ll help, too!”

Akira finally understood what was this all about and laughed, following after his friends. He felt, all of a sudden, just how ridiculously lucky he was, to have them all. They were still there for him, no matter the timeline, constant and precious, and always having his back, whether it was fighting shadows or picking clothes for his date.

“I’m in your hands, guys.” he said with a bright smile.

Hours later, they all fell into the booth at Big Bang Burger, exhausted and happily digging in the food Akira treated them to as thanks for the help. Though, seeing as he had barely strength enough to grab his burger and bite into it, perhaps he should be getting some reward, too… he did not expect Ann to be this _demanding_ while on a hunt for one, simple outfit she supposedly had an idea for already. He lost count of how many outfits she made him try out; some completely casual, some way too elegant, some that made him and Ryuuji cringe and some that Akira considered buying just for the hell of it, as they looked _great_ , date or no date. Still, the one Ann ended up picking for him was the best of them all, he decided.

“Thanks, guys, again.” Akira smiled lightly at them all, leaning back on his seat. “You’ve saved my date.”

“Heh, no problem, dude.”

“Yes, it was fun, actually! You’re kinda fun to dress up, I should get you set up as a model sometime, I wonder how you’d do…” Ann hummed, before chuckling at Akira’s expression. “Joking, joking. Though, I want pics once you’re all dressed up and ready! _And_ ones from your date!”

“Yeah man, let us know how it went.” Ryuuji grinned at him. “Then again, it’s you two, so you’ll be fine.”

“You think?” Akira rubbed the back of his neck nervously before slipping a bit of meat from his burger to Morgana.

“Yeah!”

“You have no need to be nervous, Akira. I promise.” Ann winked at him.

“Lady Ann’s right.” Morgana nodded sagely, chewing on the burger. “Nothing our Joker can’t deal with. You’ve got all the tickets? Reservations?”

“Yes, I got them on my way to the hideout, just…”

“Just take it easy then, dude.”

“Well, not _too_ easy. You’ve got to show the effort a bit.”

“But not too much.”

“Eat a mint or something and don’t worry.”

“Oh, and make sure you’re not late tomorrow!”

“Get him some flowers or something.”

“Guys, I know you think you’re helping, but you’re really not.” Akira groaned. His friends all laughed at him in unison, and after a moment, so did he; and somehow, once they all calmed down and continued to chat, Akira felt his nervousness slowly ebb away.

It wasn’t anything he needed to be worried about, after all. He had a date with the guy he held dear; considered his friend, cared for, and had a monster crush on. With a smile, Akira picked up his phone – which he had on silent during their shopping – and typed quickly.

 

 **Akira:** I have been released into the wild

 **Goro:** I’m glad you’re back in your natural habitat

 **Goro:** where did they all even drag you off to?

 **Goro:** I’m almost scared to ask

 **Akira:** That’s a secret

 **Goro:** …what are you scheming?

 **Akira:** You’ll see ♥

**Goro:**

**Goro:** I look forward to it. Speaking of, what time?

 **Akira:** I’ll come pick you up 5pm

 **Akira:** ok?

 **Goro:** I’ll be waiting

 **Goro:** see you on Saturday, Akira

 **Goro:** ♥

 

…really. What could go wrong?

 

* * *

 

The morning came early after an uneasy night. Akira had troubles sleeping, feeling both somewhat nervous and excited for today – mostly excited, really.

Still, he woke up early after falling asleep without even realizing he did; slid off the bed and smiled at Morgana, still curled up there. He changed into his school uniform and skipped downstairs, smiling at Sojiro, only to blink in surprise when instead of only the older man there, and perhaps some regulars already coming in, he saw Yusuke seated by the counter, cup of coffee in hand.

“Sit down, I’ll get you two some breakfast.” Sojiro nodded at him, and Akira obeyed, looking curiously at his artist friend. It wasn’t like Yusuke, to come visit him this early, and without announcing himself beforehand, too. Akira had to say he was curious.

“Good morning, Akira. I apologize for troubling you this early in the morning.”

“It’s fine.” Akira smiled, shaking his head. “Anything the matter? You’re up pretty early…”

“There are… several things on my mind, yes.” Yusuke nodded, and then – after a moment – looked to the right. Following his gaze, Akira saw Sayuri; hanging there by the bar, on its rightful place. It was nice, seeing the painting there. Before, Leblanc felt strangely barren without it.

“You came to leave Sayuri here?”

“Yes… just as you have predicted, it looks very much in the right place.” Yusuke smiled lightly. “I suspect you have quite a keen eye for art despite being somewhat of an amateur, Akira. It is part of the reason why I would like to request your assistance.”

“I’d be happy to help. What do you need assistance with?”

“I am embarrassed to say, but I have found myself in a bit of a slump.” Yusuke sighed softly, hunching his shoulders. Akira felt his expression soften. He knew where this was stemming from and knew how to help his friend – from the future, the one that felt more and more like a distant dream with how much has changed, even if perhaps in the grand scheme of things barely anything did. Still, he would gladly listen to all Yusuke had to say, and help him all over again, no matter what it took.

And anyway, running around Mementos with Yusuke and helping him paint has always been fun, if in a slightly eccentric meaning of the word.

“I have had several rather long discussions about it with Goro…” Yusuke continued. “And we have, together, come to the conclusion that my inability to paint with the previous ease and enthusiasm is stemming from my confrontation with Madarame, and my confronting the truth of what my former mentor truly was. What I have before taken as obvious makes me doubt myself and hesitate now; and though I have faced the ugly truth about the world, I am no longer certain where the truth lies. I have always endeavoured to capture true beauty, like what Sayuri represented; but even this has been marred for me.”

Akira listened quietly, only breaking away from watching Yusuke to smile gratefully at Sojiro, as the man set two plates of curry before them.

“You’ve been talking to Goro about this?”

“Yes; our discussions have proven incredibly stimulating. Seeing how busy he is at the moment, however, I didn’t dare ask him for assistance in my more… time-consuming quest to regain my previous ease in wielding a brush.”

“Is that where I come in, then?” Akira smiled lightly. “I said it before, but I’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you, Akira.” Yusuke smiled back. He picked the spoon and gathered a bit of curry on it, but before he could start eating, he hesitated; and set the spoon slowly down once more, turning to look at the raven with a rather hesitant expression on his face.

“…there is… another matter I would like to discuss.”

“Go ahead.” Akira nodded encouragingly.

“It is of… somewhat embarrassing nature. I am not certain it is my place to talk to you about it.”

Well, that made the raven blink in surprise. This… this was something new.

“…still, go on?” he said carefully.

“It… concerns Goro. And… your relationship with him.” Yusuke coughed lightly, looking into his plate of curry; and lucky he did, because he might have thought something was wrong with Akira, the way the raven stared at him in confusion.

“I do not doubt your intentions, of course. Both as our leader and as my friend, you have given me no reason to ever doubt you, Akira. However… what I would like to make clear…” Yusuke continued, unperturbed, still talking to his curry. “Recently, Goro has become someone I found myself caring for deeply as a dear friend. I owe him a great debt. He was not only the one who made me face the truth about Madarame; he has also given me hospitality and welcomed me into his house… he even helps me organize my living expenses better, and reminds me to eat whenever I’m painting for a longer time. My life has improved significantly since we moved in together. As such… I cannot help but worry… he is a… difficult person to get to open up, as I, of course, understand. I wouldn’t want him facing any… disappointments when he does, and…”

“…Yusuke.” Akira breathed, finally finding his words again. God. _God_. Yusuke… was worried Akira might hurt Goro..? Moreover, he confessed that they became close over the last few weeks… the raven couldn’t help but smile softly, even as his expression remained serious. Of all the Phantom Thieves, to think Goro will fall in best with Yusuke… it made him happy, though. And it made him happy to know that they were all starting to care about Goro, too; even worry for him. Enough, perhaps, to wake up for the first train to Yongen-Jaya, just to make sure he was in no danger of love troubles…

“I won’t hurt him, I promise. I… I’m really serious about him.” Akira said quietly, feeling himself blush as he stared down at his plate, as well. From there, he heard Yusuke let out a long breath.

“I am happy to hear that. As I mentioned, I did not doubt you; I simply wanted to…”

“Yes, I get it.” Akira smiled softly, looking up and meeting his friend’s eyes. “And… seriously? I’m kind of happy you care for him enough to worry. Like, really happy.”

“Thank you.” Yusuke nodded and then, finally focused on his curry. Akira followed his example. Smiling, and somehow feeling extremely happy now when thinking of the upcoming date, Akira only hoped that classes will, for once, end up flowing by fast.


	22. Date with Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro and Akira finally have their first date. 
> 
> Things... happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hina drew art inspired by this chapter! Thank you so much, it's so beautiful! ;;
> 
> You can see their beautiful piece [here!](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1088216935240794112?s=20)

“…that’s the best I’ve ever seen you dressed, kid.” Sojiro whistled quietly as Akira made his way downstairs.

Granted, the tie felt weird. Akira didn’t do ties, and protested when Ann picked out a thin, dark-crimson one for him to match the charcoal, short-sleeved shirt and dark pants. She did point out Goro might appreciate the tie, however; as he might Akira not wearing his glasses and pushing his hair back for the occasion.

Once he finally, actually got into the outfit, Akira’s protests died down. Ann has been right. It _did_ look good, almost strangely so. And now, he smiled sheepishly at Sojiro and fixed his tie, slipping into a seat by the counter. He still had a lot of time; Ann has taken Morgana with her at school and so he had a little breather from both his comments and cat fur that might want to stick to his new outfit, but it _did_ rid him of the distraction his friend might have provided. Despite knowing his feelings for Goro were mutual, and they understood each other well, he couldn’t help but feel nervous before the first date in his life that mattered.

“Not too much?” he murmured hesitantly. Sojiro shook his head, setting a cup of coffee in front of him.

“Just right. Here, drink. Nothing like a cup of good, strong coffee before a date. Last thing you want is yawning on the guy.” he winked, and Akira replied with a snort.

“…thanks, Boss. I’ll remember not to.”

“Good. Kid..?”

“Yes?”

Sojiro looked at him for a moment, with a strange look in his eyes. Akira wondered briefly what was it; the kindness and softness he found there feeling almost foreign by now, but also curiously familiar, like a distant memory.

“I just want you to know… it’s good seeing you making friends and even finding someone to go out with. When I took you in, I thought you’re just a delinquent, but… It’s good to know I was wrong.”

Akira blinked, before smiling softly, looking into his coffee as he wrapped his hands gently around the cup.

“Thank you, Boss. I really appreciate that.”

“Good. Now finish drinking and get out of here, I’ve had enough of your lovestruck face for today. Have fun on your date.”

 

* * *

 

Akira has been panicking for the last twenty four hours over whether or not a small bouquet of roses was too much for the first date – almost all the internet forums he checked supplied that, yes, it was too much – before remembering that he gave Goro a rose the moment they actually started to officially date and that felt like ages ago now, even if not that much time has passed. And as Goro didn’t break up with him yet and seemed quite happy to continue being his boyfriend, this was definitely going to work out okay.

How did other people date with someone they genuinely liked, even? It was nerve-wracking; and at the same time, filled him with sweet excitement and anticipation that he could only compare to the adrenaline rush he encountered while infiltrating a Palace. Perhaps Morgana wasn’t entirely wrong. Perhaps this, too, was not so different from a mission.

 _Infiltrating the Palace of love…_ his mind supplied, and Akira promptly shut himself up. He preferred not to think, if these were the kinds of thoughts he was about to start having.

Checking the time again – he has been a minute or two early, but that was alright – he knocked on the door, and heard the sound of shuffling footsteps; and then, heard the lock click and saw the door open for him. All it took was one look at the detective standing on the other side, and all of Akira’s nervousness and jumbled thoughts flew right out the window; and he felt a huge grin spread over his lips as he stared.

“…wow.”

Goro looked _gorgeous_ – there was just no other word for that. He was dressed simply; dark pants, white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, no tie and few upper buttons left open, showing off his neck and collarbone. His hair, too; he had them gathered on the left side of his head in a beautiful, intricate side-braid, ending in a little ponytail on the back. Akira had no idea whom he let do his hair, but whomever it was, he wanted to kiss them.

“…you look amazing.” the raven breathed, smiling as he offered the small bouquet to his boyfriend. Goro accepted it with a soft smile, his eyes shining as he looked down at the flowers.

“Thank you… and, you do, too. I never saw you this elegant before.” he laughed somewhat breathlessly. “Erm… if we’re going out, would you mind stepping in for a moment? I’ll just put these in a vase…”

“Of course.” Akira smiled and stepped into the apartment, leaning against the closed door as he waited for his boyfriend to get ready. Nothing but sweet anticipation filled him now; and he wondered, briefly, what was he even worrying about. Everything was going to go perfect for them. How could it not, with Goro looking this beautiful, even before the actual start of their date…?

The flowers have been put in a vase and the two of them were soon ready to go; and Akira smiled, feeling Goro’s hand sliding into his own as they both walked out of the apartment, each of them smiling to themselves and blushing the softest blush.

“Ah, Acchan! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around, dear!”

The old, kind voice made them spin around; and the speed with which Goro pulled his hand out of Akira’s hold would have normally made the raven pout, if he wasn’t busy grinning and bowing politely to the older lady approaching them.

“Good evening, Ito-san.” he smiled, before chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Morgana is with my friend today. We’ll stop by sometime together, if you wouldn’t mind that. I still haven’t thanked you properly for pointing us to _Gocchan_ ’s apartment back then.”

Akira got an elbow thrust into his side for the nickname, but he really couldn’t help himself. Goro’s landlady beamed at the two of them, shaking her head.

“It’s really not a problem, dear. I’m happy you two became such fast friends. Now with Yucchan here, too, it’s gotten quite lively.” She smiled softly, with some melancholy, before shaking her head as she looked up at them again. “I won’t keep you boys. You two look so handsome, are you going out? A double date, perhaps?” she smiled brightly, and Akira looked away, flushing. Goro looked softly to the side, before clearing his throat.

“Erm… actually, it’s just… regular date, Ito-san.”

“…oh? The two of you?” she blinked between their blushing faces, before chuckling softly as she smiled to herself again. “…ah, of course. I should have known, how silly of me. It is really quite obvious, with the way you two look at each other.”

Akira grinned at Goro, and has been met with his smile being returned. Ito-san nodded to herself softly before turning away.

“I will come at another time, then, Gocchan. You boys have fun.”

 

* * *

 

“So I wasn’t sure which movie you’d like, but this one really looked like the best option. If you hate it we can always leave, it’s fine, just…”

Akira stopped talking, smiling lightly instead as he looked to the side at his boyfriend. They were waiting in line before Shibuya movie theatre, about to pick up their tickets – but for whatever reason, Goro has been zoning off on him ever since they started walking from his apartment complex, barely replying with single-words to Akira’s attempts at conversation. The raven sighed fondly and decided that, first of, they _were_ on a date, and second of, he was justified in using underhanded methods before taking a quick look around and, seeing no one was looking at them at the moment, leaning a bit closer and whispering into Goro’s ear.

“If you keep ignoring me, I’m going to have to kiss you to get your attention back where it should be.”

Akira leaned back immediately and watched the detective blink in confusion before going red; and felt his own cheeks flush all over again, but damn, he wasn’t sorry.

“…have you come back to earth yet?”

“…you’re an idiot.” Goro mumbled, doing his best to look angry; and making an extremely poor job out of it. “Still… I apologize for zoning out. I’m a terrible date, I’m sorry.”

“You’re the best date, Goro. Just, can you tell me what’s on your mind? Something’s bothering you, it’s obvious enough, and I’d rather talk about it now than have you mull it over for the rest of the evening.”

“…I didn’t want to ruin our date.”

“It will definitely be better with you actually paying attention to me and not the problem, you know.” Akira laughed quietly and linked their hands together.

“Well… you see…” Goro sighed, before shaking his head and stepping back, pulling Akira out of the queue with himself. The raven didn’t mind; they still had some twenty minutes until the start of their movie, and they could always just queue up again. More than that, he was curious, and also rather confused over what busied his boyfriend’s mind so. Could it be something concerning the Metaverse..? Was Shido giving Goro orders again, orders he didn’t want to – _couldn’t_ fulfil anymore? The detective did say he was afraid of ruining their date by speaking; was this situation that dire? Maybe Akira should have waited… maybe he shouldn’t have asked him for today after all… What if—

“It’s about Ito-san.”

 _Oh_.

It was ridiculously hard to keep relief off his face and voice as Akira replied, tilting his head in honest confusion. That it was Goro’s landlady that was the problem, and not the fate of his boyfriend or the world itself being in jeopardy again was a weird sort of relief, but still.

“What about her?”

“Well…” Goro furrowed his brows, rubbing his chin with his left hand. “First, let me explain to you how does the lease of my apartment work. Essentially and not getting into details, I am paying a rather high rent for the whole apartment, but it is virtually mine to do as I like with. I may even keep pets and invite friends over, as long as I do not cause a disturbance or lasting damage. However… as Yusuke is now living with me, erm… permanently, I suppose, I was about to bring the matter up with Ito-san anyway, to propose either a raise in the rent or slight change in our agreement, as obviously more utilities are going to be now consistently used and so on and so forth. Only… it was Ito-san who raised the issue with me, instead.”

“…okay? I mean, the way you say it, I guess it wasn’t out of place? She is your landlady, after all.”

“Yes, but… how should I say it? Perhaps even few weeks ago I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but… Ito-san just… I do not think she is the kind of person who would willingly ask others for money, even if she had the reason to. She never went knocking for my rent, even when I forgot to pay it one month a year ago and paid few days overdue. She never acts greedy, or mean-spirited, or demands money. And when she did ask me if it would be alright for the rent to go slightly up to accommodate Yusuke’s needs, it felt… as if she was embarrassed, even though she had no reason to be.”

“So… you think she needs money?”

“She asked me to pay rent earlier this month, too. I didn’t notice anything changing in her appearance or activities, so I will for now say sudden medical bills are unlikely… she did, however, exhibit some uncharacteristic behaviours.”

Akira couldn’t help but smile at the wording, and moved a bit closer, bumping their arms together lightly and taking Goro’s hand – the one he wasn’t using for his detective pose.

“And what behaviours could that be?”

“Well, for one, she had suspicious looking guests. A woman and man in a suit. It was after the few trips she took to some other part of the city, and after she started carrying that weird stone around…”

_A stone..? People in suits visiting and then financial troubles? Well, that sounds eerily familiar._

“…alright.” Akira murmured, pinching his brow lightly. “Please, _please_ tell me it’s not a crystal… around _this_ big… kind of looking like rock salt, because it happens to be rock salt, in fact?”

Goro stared at him in amazement.

“How did you know?”

“…ugh.” Akira groaned, before shaking his head. Now that he thought of it, at least he no longer needed an excuse to travel to Shinjuku and meet with Chihaya and – hopefully – Ohya this time. All’s well that ends well, right?

“Okay, we’re going.”

“Huh?” Goro stared, only following Akira towards the station because the raven had his hand still in a firm hold. “But… our date?”

Akira just chuckled and looked back at him. “You can’t just leave it alone, can you? So let’s investigate. You did promise you’ll take me out on a case sometime, after all.”

“…you won’t mind?” Goro asked, before his lips stretched in a soft, wondering smile as he giggled quietly; and it was the prettiest sound Akira may have heard, ever. “No… of course you won’t. Since you’re you.” the detective shook his head softly, and Akira’s heart skipped as he saw the look Goro’s eyes had. All of a sudden, he felt like this was going to be the best date he could ever ask for, and screw them going to the movies.

“To Shinjuku we go.” he said out loud, smiling back at his boyfriend.

“To Shinjuku, then; I trust you. And I’m going to try my hardest and show you just how good of a detective I can be, Akira.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it.”

The ride to Shinjuku was quiet, but with soft, comfortable silence that made both of them smile. In a crowded train, Akira could get away with leaning his weight against Goro’s side, and Goro could easily sneak his hand once more into Akira’s own, stroking the palm of his hand with his thumb as they both smiled and flushed and felt like the teenagers in love they were, for once, giddy at the sweet little secret they kept so clumsily from the world.

The moment they stepped off the train, though, Goro turned more serious; and followed Akira’s lead, looking around the red-light district that was only starting to awaken as the evening fell. Akira didn’t hesitate when navigating the streets, though he stumbled when Goro tugged him back by his hand, frowning up at him.

“…you’ve been here before. What were you doing in the red light district by yourself, Akira?”

“Why, cheating on you with handsome hosts, of course, and pachinko-ing my life away.” the raven rolled his eyes before giggling at the exasperated look that got him from Goro. “I came here because I was curious. I told you, before coming here I never had a chance to visit Tokyo before. And Shinjuku _is_ kind of a must-see, right?”

“Still…”

“Goro.” Akira poked his boyfriend’s forehead. “I’m not in trouble, so stop worrying. I didn’t come here to do anything other than sightsee yet.”

“ _Yet_.”

“Well, right now I’m here to help my boyfriend in his investigation.” Akira grinned, and Goro shook his head, but smiled, obviously letting it go – for now.

“And how are you supposed to do that, exactly?”

“Come with me.” Akira grinned and dragged Goro into one of the back alleys, his smile softening with recognition as he noticed Chihaya sitting there, by her table, as she always did. She was looking at the two of them with interest; before frowning, reaching hesitantly down for her cards. The warm feeling of seeing his friend again, after so long, quickly turned to dread in Akira’s chest. Right; his fate had to be completely different right now already, and as for Goro’s… did he want to find out what was still in the cards for his boyfriend? Did Goro want to..?

Before the girl could check their fortune, Akira stepped closer, dragging his more and more confused boyfriend behind him, and smiled softly at her. She smiled back, seemingly shaking herself off.

“Hello there! It’s not often that I get young men stopping by my stand. Still… did you come here before? I could have sworn I know you from somewhere…”

Akira stared, before shaking his head. He couldn’t believe someone in this timeline would have even the slightest inkling of this having happened before, but then again, if someone did, perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised it was Chihaya, of all people.

“No, this is my first time coming here.” he answered easily.

“I see! You must be just similar to someone I know, then. Anyway, my name is Chihaya Mifune! I will be reading your fortune today.”

Goro made a face, and looked at Akira with eyes that said, _I can’t believe you’re making me talk to a fortune-teller_ , but the raven smiled simply and pulled him down on the chair before sitting down next to him.

“Can you do a love reading for me and my boyfriend?” Akira said cheerfully, grinning at Goro’s scandalized look as he watched Chihaya tilt her head again.

“Ah… of… of course! It will be five thousand yen.”

“Absolutely _not_.” Goro scoffed, and Akira rolled his eyes and looked at him, shaking his head lightly. Though frowning, the detective slowly leaned back on his chair, looking at Chihaya suspiciously as Akira paid the fee with an easy smile.

“Thank you! You can begin by telling me your names.”

“Shouldn’t you already know them?” Goro murmured mockingly, and Chihaya sighed, looking to the side.

“I suppose I could attempt to divine it if you’d like. Let’s begin with your last name… Is it Yamamoto? Or perhaps Mishima? Or perhaps… Akechi?” she hummed thoughtfully as Goro blinked, before turning to Akira. “And your name… it would be Kurusu, if I had to guess. It might take a long time…”

“Kurusu Akira and Akechi Goro.” Akira smiled lightly, hearing a _it was lucky guess_ murmured from beside himself. It was really quite funny, how much of a sceptic Goro was.

“I see. Your names are quite lucky!” Chihaya beamed at them. “Very well. I will now make a simple love spread for you to divine the state and potential of your relationship.”

Akira leaned lightly against Goro’s side, who sighed wearily as he watched Chihaya set out one card after the other. With some, she hummed, at others she stared; and as the last one has been laid down, and the world itself shifted around them in a barely noticeable and yet so familiar way, even Goro frowned and leaned forward, staring at the cards.

“Yes… I have seen everything.” Chihaya hummed, looking quizzically at the cards. Akira tilted his head, interested. He did want to engage Chihaya in conversation, so that they could both learn about Holy Stone scam business, but somewhere along the way to Shinjuku, the raven did become quite interested on what Chihaya would have to say about the future. His, Goro’s… and _theirs_.

“This is… a very unusual spread. It’s the first time I’m seeing something like this.” She said carefully, crossing her arms. “The cards seem to indicate that the two of you are a wonderful match for one another. Not too similar, but complimenting one another in perfect balance, like two sides of a coin. You seem to share a deep level of trust, care and understanding, too, however… when it comes to divining the future of your relationship…”

Chihaya hesitated; and Akira was surprised to feel Goro tense up beside himself. Was it really a good idea to bring him here and ask for this reading?

“…what about it?”

“There seem to be nothing but obstacle and danger in front of you. The chaos, change, misunderstandings and betrayal lie in the cards; even death, for one of you or both… it’s… very unclear. I have never seen such bad future stem from two people this compatible…”

“ _What_..?” Goro rasped, and Akira looked to the side at him, watching how set his face was. His hand shot to the side, covering Goro’s own, squeezing it lightly.

“I… If you wished to turn this fate, however, perhaps there’s a chance!” Chihaya chimed hesitantly, looking away as she pulled out a pretty little box with a crystal in it. “This very powerful Holy Stone has the power to help! For mere hundred thousand yen, I…”

“We won’t need that, thank you.” Akira said with a soft smile, and both of them looked up at him; Chihaya in surprise, and Goro… Goro looked at him with soft, vulnerable expression that asked for comfort; and Akira returned the look, blushing as he leaned his head lightly against the detective’s.

“I don’t need cards to tell me we were made for one another, and I don’t need pieces of rock salt to help when I know I can change the fate myself. What you foretold awaits us only happens if we sit down and wait for it; and I don’t intend on allowing anything dictate my future, even fate itself.” Akira smiled again, and after a moment, he felt Goro smile beside himself, too, even as he leaned away.

“…he’s right. Even if something such as divination powers could exist, which I doubt… Akira can shape his own fate. I should know that better than anyone. And if he can do it, why can’t I?” Goro smiled even brighter and squeezed Akira’s hand, and Chihaya looked at the two of them with a deep frown, before sighing and shaking her head, reaching to take the Holy Stone away…

…only to be stopped by Goro’s hand as it darted out, taking the crystal.

“More importantly.” he said quietly, looking over the piece of salt with a rather disgusted expression. “I now know _exactly_ why my landlady needed money so badly as of late. Mifune-san, was it? I have a few question for you now, and you won’t be needing your cards to answer them this time around, I feel…”

 

* * *

 

The interrogation that followed was much less fun than Akira anticipated – perhaps because the person writhing and being on the receiving end of Goro’s wrath was one of his future friends. Still, it _was_ quite informative; and by the time they finally stood up, leaving Chihaya looking shaken and on the verge of tears as Goro made her realize, in rather unkind words, what her holy stone business has done to an innocent older lady, the detective already found enough information about the organization to help. They walked towards the station in silence; only broken by Goro as he looked up at him, pushing a strand of his hair back softly.

“…sorry. Was I too harsh on her?”

“I don’t think that’s it.” Akira hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… I think she really does believe these stones might help. Some people decide pretending not to see the truth before them is the best course of action… that doesn’t mean they’re inherently bad people.”

“Hm.” Goro hummed quietly, rubbing his chin, before nodding with a soft little smile. “You’re right… let’s go visit her again sometime. To… make amends, and see whether she did something about these Holy Stones. For now, though; we were supposed to be on a date.” he chuckled quietly, and Akira felt his heart leap in his chest.

 _God, I… I really am deep for this guy, am I not_.

“Right. Well… we could still make it to the movies if you don’t mind going for something random, but…”

“Hey… isn’t that Akechi-kun?”

The whisper made both of them still and turn their heads; and the whisperings only continued as all of a sudden, there were more and more eyes on the two of them. Near the exit of Chihaya’s back alley, in the middle of a crowd, they suddenly felt like they were caught in a limelight; as more and more young women – and not just women – started to crowd around them.

“It really is!”

“He’s looking so handsome! Is he on a case?”

“Do you think I can come up to say hello?”

“Do you think he’ll shake my hand?”

“Do you think he’ll let me take a selfie with him?”

“…uh… Crow?” Akira cleared his throat, slowly backing away. Goro nodded, eyes darting to the little break in the crowd of his quickly gathering fans.

“On my signal… three… two… _run!_ ”

At first, Goro was leading the way; sprinting towards the station, where trains and blessed labyrinth of Shinjuku could help them get away. This way, however, was already overtaken by frighteningly organized crowd of fans and that made the two of them dive into another backstreet and then run into another one, through a series of narrow streets and back into the red light district; Akira heard Goro curse a rather filthy, quiet curse as they noticed they ran into a fan-infested area once more. Before they could notice them, however, both of the boys felt a hand grab the back of their shirts and pull them back; and then scent and dimmed light that was almost frighteningly familiar to Akira enveloped them, as they were dragged into the very Crossroads bar he used to frequent in this other future.

Goro twirled around the moment they were free, a look of confusion and alarm on his face; which didn’t get any less alarmed when he looked around and saw the bar he was in, and Lala-chan standing behind it. Akira, for his part, smiled gratefully at her and Ohya, who was now dusting her hands with a little, suspiciously drunken smirk on her face.

“Ha! That should keep you boys safe. You can thank me later, once these bloodthirsty girls’ stampede passes.” she giggled with a little hiccup, before sliding into her seat, eyeing Goro like he was a beautifully wrapped gift she got for her birthday. Akira knew that look. He has been on the receiving end of it a few times already.

“You are…”

“Ichiko Ohya.” she nodded drunkenly, grinning at Akira and winking at him, which made Goro raise his eyebrows. “I met you in front of Madarame’s house back then, no? He ended up such a big scandal, it’s kinda funny… hey, Lala-chan! Drinks for my two new friends!”

Lala stared from behind the bar, and Akira smiled lightly, sitting down by the counter and pulling Goro down with himself. It’s not like they could leave Crossroads for a while now, after all.

“We’ll have some water, if it’s not a problem.” he said, and Lala raised her brow at them.

“Not like I’d be giving you anything else.”

“Boo, you’re so boring, Lala-chan.” Ohya chimed, downing the rest of her whiskey and slamming the glass on the counter. God, Akira almost forgot how much this woman drunk. “So.” she slurred, looking at the two of them with a smirk. “What business does Detective Prince Goro Akechi have in Shinjuku’s red light district, all prettied-up, with another pretty boy to keep him company? I do work in writing entertainment segments, you know…” she winked again, and all of a sudden, Akira felt his expression turn icy. With all the love he had for Ohya…

“Whoa, that’s a dangerous look.” the journalist laughed, waving her hand in the air. “No worries, no worries, I won’t out a fellow closet-mate, no matter how juicy the secret would be. You guys go public, though, and I’m getting the heads-up, alright?”

“…I can make a deal like this, I suppose.” Goro said quietly, through clenched teeth. Ohya giggled drunkenly once more.

“As thanks for saving your butts, though… say, detective, any behind-the-scenes details on the Phantom Thieves case? I need to write a _lot_ about them and there’s hardly any info… You have something, don’t you? Some little source you can tip me off to? Hm? Hm?”

Goro frowned and opened his mouth, about to say no; but before he could, Akira elbowed him in his side. The detective scowled at him, and the raven smiled, mouthing _Mishima_ to him. Goro blinked, and then his expression turned from annoyed and worried to thoughtful.

“…well, seeing as my boyfriend happens to be a fan of the Phantom Thieves, I guess it won’t hurt if I give you a contact to someone who is a very big fan as well.” the detective said slowly. “As _thanks_. And then we’ll both forget this incident has ever happened.”

Ohya grinned, raising her whiskey glass.

“ _Perfect_. Send me the contact and we’re even, boy I never saw in my life and won’t remember seeing here in this bar the moment he leaves.”

“I’m glad we understand each other.” Goro smiled a somewhat strained smile and raised his glass of water as well. Akira and Lala-chan remained quiet; only sharing a little look.

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry we didn’t make it to the movies…”

They were on the train again; huddled together on a seat they managed to grab, Goro’s hand held in Akira’s as the train rocked them softly on their way to Ginza. The raven shook his head, nudging his boyfriend lightly with his head and pulling him just a tiny bit closer.

“There’s no need to. It’s not your fault we got noticed. And hey, at least now we can finally, officially start our date, right? We’re going for sushi, and there’s no way we’re going to be bothered in that restaurant.”

Goro smiled softly up at him and nodded with a little sigh.

“…right. Still… I just want you to know, it’s a wonderful date you planned. I definitely want to go to the movies together with you next time. And even sushi…” the detective blushed softly, squeezing Akira’s hand.

“You can take me for movies on our next date, I have zero complaints.”

Admittedly, the date did go a _little_ off from how Akira had hoped it would. The sudden investigation sounded like fun, sure; but between their fate being announced as absolute disaster, Goro interrogating Chihaya and then the two of them being chased through the streets of Shinjuku and having to hide in Crossroads to wait it out, it was definitely not how he imagined their first date to go. At least now, as they stood up and left the train, walking hand in hand to the sushi place Akira picked, there were no more things that could go wrong. They will at least have a nice, romantic meal together and…

“Akechi-kun?” came a familiar, strict voice just as they entered the restaurant and have been shown to their seats. Akira blinked, staring at Sae with wide eyes and wondering, ridiculously, what the hell were the odds. “Wonderful timing. I was just about to look for you; there have been a new development on the case, and I’d like your opinion on the…” she eyed Akira shortly, before turning back to Goro. “…matter we discussed over the phone before. Is it alright if we talk right now? I don’t have much time to spare…”

Goro just stared, before sighing and looking over at Akira with the most apologetic look the raven has ever seen; and he couldn’t really help it, could he? Akira simply smiled and nodded, leaning back on his chair as he watched Sae sit down on the seat beside them; soon pulling his boyfriend into a heated talk about work and certain Phantom Thieves case.

Akira stared down on his sushi and couldn’t help but snort to himself. Absolutely everything went wrong today; but somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to feel bad about it when, under the table, he felt Goro’s bare fingers reach out and find his own; and squeeze tightly on them.

The date definitely ended up being far from perfect. But perhaps… that was alright.

 

* * *

 

“I’m so sorry…”

It was hours later. The evening turned into night by the time they left the restaurant and boarded the train home, waving goodbye to Sae. Akira insisted on walking Goro back to his apartment, even though his boyfriend has been obviously bummed out for the most of their way; and only broke the silence they were walking in once they reached the small park right beside his apartment complex.

“What for?” Akira asked, smiling as he stopped walking and sat down on the bench, pulling Goro down gently to sit with him.

“I ruined our date.” Goro sighed, looking away. “First I dragged you off to investigate Ito-san…”

“I remember I did most of the dragging, actually.”

“…then my fans made us run and hide in that Crossroads bar…”

“To be fair, chatting over soda with you was actually pretty nice once Ohya-san stopped breathing alcohol at us and went to do that into the toilet instead.”

“…and then you had to sit through a long, boring work talk with Sae-san when we were supposed to be enjoying sushi together.”

“You do realize I love listening to your voice no matter what you’re saying, right?”

“Stop being a cliché.” Goro scowled, and Akira just smiled at him as the detective let out a long sigh, looking down at their linked hands. “I wanted our first date to be perfect. And of course it ended up ruined because of me…”

“Goro.” Akira said softly, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand before letting it go, just so that he could brush his fingertips lightly over the beautiful, intricate braid the detective had on the side of his head. He could see Goro shiver softly, tense up, and then lean into the touch slightly, no matter how soft it was.

“…Akira.” the detective replied after a while, looking up. “I just… I really want to apologize.”

“You don’t have a reason to.”

“But I…”

“Did you have fun?” Akira smiled; his hand moving back down, resting on his lap. The detective’s eyes turned soft and sweet, and he looked away, his voice quiet when he spoke.

“…I did, honestly. Investigating with you… even running away… and just spending time with you, it was fun. It just wasn’t… date-fun, I guess?”

“I had fun, too. And… it maybe wasn’t the kind of date I was planning to take you on, but I still got to spend a whole evening with you.” Akira smiled softly as Goro’s hand came up, covering his own.

“You’re a walking cliché.”

“Oh, I’m only getting started.” Akira giggled, and Goro joined him in it. Slowly, the raven saw his boyfriend relax. And then…

“…we can still have our date starting now, can’t we?” Goro mumbled quietly, and leaned to the side; tense and awkward and blushing as he leaned his head on Akira’s shoulder, their hands linked together on their lap. With the soft weight of his boyfriend against him, with his scent enveloping him so nicely, Akira felt his stomach do a kind of a double backflip as they both slowly relaxed into the new position, their cheeks flushed.

“This is okay… right?” Goro murmured, and Akira smiled, resting his own head delicately against the detective’s.

“More than okay.” he murmured, smiling as Goro’s hand squeezed his own.

“…just out of curiosity, what movie were you going to take me out for?”

“Ah… there was some new murder mystery thing.”

“Then perhaps it’s good we didn’t go.” Goro chuckled. “I always guess the culprit in the first ten minutes and then get bored for the rest of the movie.”

“Show-off.”

“You said it yourself that it’s hot when I’m being smart.” Goro teased right back, and chuckled when he saw Akira flush.

“Well… I was kind of actually counting on that.”

“Ah, so you wanted me bored and in need of attention in a dark cinema. You truly are a criminal, Akira.”

“Hey, I was only hoping for like… you falling asleep on my shoulder! Get your head out of the gutter!”

“Right, right, of course.”

They both laughed; Goro covering his mouth as little giggles spilled, and Akira laughing openly, leaning back on the bench with his face turned up towards the starry sky. Even in Tokyo, in this quiet park, they could see some stars shining down at them.

“…so… if we were to go for a movie. Which one would you like to see?” he asked after a while, not changing the comfortable position. He heard Goro hum beside himself, and then felt him lean back as well, joining him in his stargazing.

“…promise you won’t laugh?”

“Promise.”

“I like superhero movies a lot.”

“Really?”

“Mhm… and… well, apart from that, I always wanted to watch things that… that are sweet and romantic and innocent.”

“…what do you mean?”

“Like… Ghibli movies, the cute ones. Or Disney. I never seen Lion King, you know? And I always wanted to watch it with someone.”

Akira grinned lightly, and Goro turned to look at him, slapping his arm lightly.

“You promised you won’t laugh!”

“I’m not! You’re just cute.” Akira chuckled, before straightening up and grinning mischievously. Goro frowned at him, but before he could even ask what the raven was scheming, Akira was sliding off the bench, and onto one knee in front of him, opening his arms as he sang into the night.

“ _There’s a calm surrender~ To the rush of day~_ ”

Goro stared; it took him exactly five second to go from dumbstruck to blushing and embarrassed.

“Oh my _god_ , Akira, don’t…”

“ _When the heat of a rolling world~ Can’t be turned away~_ ”

“Shut _up_ , we’re in public..!”

Goro slid down from the bench, too, reaching out to cover Akira’s mouth; though the raven laughed and caught his hands instead, pulling them both up, twirling them around as he continued to sing, even over Goro’s laughter-stifled protests.

“Don’t, come on, oh _god_ _stop that_..! I have neighbours!”

“ _An enchanted moment~ And it sees me through~_ ”

“Akira Kurusu, your singing _and_ your English _suck_ so _stop that_!”

Goro finally managed to – laughing – tear his hands out of Akira’s grasp and plant them firmly over his face, shutting him up; as they stood there, with the detective hidden in the raven’s arms, giggling and looking at each other softly.

“…will you be quiet now?” Goro murmured finally, letting Akira breathe again; and the raven rolled his eyes, even as he continued to grin.

“You enjoyed that. Admit it.”

“… _maybe_. A little tiny bit. Your singing still sucks, though.”

“Oh? Think you can sing it better?”

“You’re not baiting me into singing a love song to you in public, Akira.”

“Tch, no fun.”

They both chuckled again; and Akira closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Goro tighter, feeling the detective slowly melt into the touch. They fit together so perfectly; like two pieces of a puzzle. And there, in the quiet, dark little park, together, smiling and being silly, they felt _perfect_ , no matter how badly their date went. And then, as Akira felt Goro rest his head against his shoulder, almost shyly…

“ _…can you feel the love tonight…_ ”

Goro’s voice was quiet and shy and soft; and he was blushing so hard even his ears were cherry-red. And as Akira pulled away, staring at him in wonder, he understood that this – no matter what happened before – was the most perfect date either of them could ever wish for.


	23. Will Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration of Kaneshiro's Palace continues, and Goro encounters an unexpected situation.

**Panther:** ok I’m home

 **Queen:** I arrived safely as well

 **Queen:** I am still not quite sure why did you insist I go with you, but… thank you

 **Queen:** it was… fun. I suppose

 **Panther:** hehe~

 **Panther:** ok guys what you got

 **Skull:** you gave us the hardest task dammit

 **Skull:** y’know how hard it is to pull anything from Crow?

 **Fox:** on the contrary

 **Fox:** perhaps he was somewhat greedy with the details, I did however ascertain that the date was an unprecedented success

 **Panther:** really? according to Akira a lot of stuff went wrong

 **Skull:** no that he did say, that it wasn’t according to plan

 **Fox:** however, seeing as he didn’t stop smiling once since coming home and is currently singing a love song in the shower, I assume the changes had a positive rather than negative influence

 **Queen:** …Akechi Goro is singing a love song in the shower

 **Fox:** yes. he has some considerable talent, otherwise I suppose I might have been disturbed

 **Fox:** on that note, Ann, may I congratulate you on the superb job you did on his hair?

 **Panther:** IT LOOKS GREAT DOESN’T IT

 **Panther:** I had to blackmail him into braiding them he was so anxious about this

 **Panther:** he had no reason to be ofc Akira gushed about that braid for like 10 minutes before me and Makoto managed to get him to move on

 **Queen:** I can confirm that unfortunately did happen

 **Panther:** oh come on you had fun admit it

 **Queen:** …I think? it was rather disconcerting, however, hearing our leader talk about his date

 **Queen:** isn’t that a very private matter, after all?

 **Panther:** they’re both our friends and we’re all concerned

 **Panther:** plus I have a bet going on here which brings me to

 **Panther:** Akira didn’t want to spill if they kissed or not

 **Panther:** guys?

 **Skull:** yeah because if Akira didn’t want to spill the beans Goro definitely would

 **Skull:** come on

 **Fox:** they did not kiss

 **Skull:**???

 **Skull:** dude I was there all the time we talked how did you get that

 **Fox:** some things do not require words to be known

 **Fox:** in other words, had they kissed, we would most certainly know

 **Panther:** aaaaah

 **Panther:** good point

 **Skull:** haha, your turn to pay up Ann

 **Skull:** I knew my man Akira won’t go forcing kisses on the first date

 **Panther:** he wouldn’t have forced it, let’s face it these two would love to kiss they just have that stupid list of theirs

 **Fox:** a list?

 **Panther:** ya morgana found it laying about and he told me

 **Panther:** they have like steps they want to go through

 **Panther:** I just thought they won’t be able to stick to it gdi not with the outfits I picked for them

 **Joker:** ok you jerks you do know that if you want to be sneaky with talking behind our backs you can’t use the “add all to conversation” button right

 **Crow:** shush, let them. I was having fun

 **Panther:** SKULL

 **Skull:** what YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DELETE THEM FROM THE CONVO

 **Joker:** not in the shower anymore, Crow?

 **Crow:** just got out

 **Joker:** aww pity I was about to ask Yusuke to record you

 **Crow:** ah

 **Crow:** shall I sing for you some other time, then?

 **Joker:** ♥

 **Skull:** you guys are so sweet it’s gross

 **Queen:** I understand your feelings, Skull

 **Crow:** You are welcome to leave the conversation at any moment, Niijima-san

 **Queen:** I will keep that in mind, Akechi-kun. Of course, the same to you.

 **Joker:** both of you shut up

 **Joker:** also, Morgana is telling all of us to go to sleep and for once I second him

 **Joker:** we’re infiltrating Kaneshiro’s tomorrow

 **Joker:** let’s meet at noon at the hideout, everyone be as prepared as possible

 **Joker:** it shouldn’t be as difficult for us anymore but still, we might need to split our infiltration over few days, so I want to start as soon as possible

 **Skull:** roger that, leader

 **Crow:** let’s do our best, everyone

 

* * *

 

Akira spent the next morning making few last preparations; both at the Velvet Room, at Iwai’s and Takemi’s. They had the best gear they could possibly have; his own Persona arsenal has been updated to take into consideration the weaknesses of the shadows he remembered from Kaneshiro’s Palace, and Akira spent pretty much the rest of the money he had on new medicine and accessories for all of them, hoping it will let them last longer.

Still, even with all of these precautions and extra training, infiltration of Kaneshiro’s Palace was draining, both physically and mentally. They held a strategy meeting before going in; agreed they will try to engage in as few fights as possible, sneaking behind the guards’ backs instead as they fought their way to the top of the elevator, inching closer and closer to the lower floors; the lowest of which held the treasure they were after.

If there was one good thing about the sheer difficulty of their infiltration, it was that without meaning to, Goro and Makoto were forced to work together – and were, to their mutual annoyance, quite a good team. As the most versatile member of their team, save for Akira, Goro always had a place in the vanguard; and Makoto had to appreciate his skill and power, when it was mostly the two of them that were able to exploit the early enemies’ weaknesses there. At some point, them trying to outshine each other turned more into actual cooperation; and Akira couldn’t be happier to observe it be as such. Not to mention the brief moments in between their fights, when – hunched together and pointing angrily at the map of the bank, they talked in hushed voices and made sure to guide the rest of their team safely through the winding corridors riddled with security guards, cameras and traps.

At some point, the bickering just stopped, never to return; and the two of them even started to smile at one another whenever a particularly well-executed plan of their making brought them closer to the end of each floor or allowed them to bypass another security guard.

And then, something happened that none of their team could have foreseen. An unlikely team of Orobas and Leanan Sidhe attacked them; and Goro grinned as he has been given a baton pass from Ann, swiftly dealing with the remaining enemy. They got them in a hold up, and Akira was just about to order their annihilation, when…

“I implore you! Please spare my life!”

Akira hesitated; it’s not like he _needed_ the Leanan Sidhe, but he has always found it hard to refuse the shadows begging for their lives. Especially since he _could_ carry more than he has been carrying now; and she in particular was an useful ally to have…

“…I suppose…” Akira murmured hesitantly; and was startled to see the shadow look up at him with a cold glare.

“Such an idle way to speak of someone else’s life or death! How dare you—”

“Wait!” Akira heard Crow’s call from beside himself, and smiled lightly. “You would be wise not to attempt any erratic movements.”

The Leanan Sidhe looked from Akira to Goro; and for a moment, she tilted her head, as if surveying the two of them.

“This one is more respectful.” she nodded to herself, and Akira’s eyes widened as he watched her smile and reach her hands out to Goro. “I remember now…”

The surge of firey light enveloped her and tumbled towards Goro; and the next moment, the detective gasped as the shining mask – just like his own – swooshed onto his face, melting into his own, making him stumble. For a moment of stunned silence, all of them looked at each other in shock; and then, Goro, hands trembling, reached up; his fingertips skimming over his red mask.

“I… can do that..?”

“…well obviously you can?” Ann said, pulling the detective into a one-armed hug. The rest of the team cheered, and over Ann’s shoulder, Akira could see Goro’s still rather shocked expression as he looked up, their eyes meeting.

“Hell yeah, man!” Ryuuji grinned at the still stunned detective. “I always knew you had it in ya!”

They gave themselves a moment longer to celebrate; and for Goro to actually calm down and come to terms with the sudden development. He was doing a good job, as soon his shock turned into thoughtfulness and joy, and in the next fight they had, he made a point of using his new Persona, grinning and skipping happily at how easily – how naturally – he was able to fight with her, too.

Even with this sudden development, however, they couldn’t go all the way in one go, as Akira had hoped they might. They had to stop in one of the safe rooms along the way and return to the real world, on account of both Akira and Morgana almost collapsing during the last fight, unable to keep up with healing the team.

They didn’t let it dampen their spirits, however. Goro was smiling as he slipped under Akira’s arm and propped him up, offering he’ll escort him and already-asleep Morgana to Leblanc, and the raven was glad for that. They waved their goodbyes and promised to meet and resume their infiltration the next day; most of their group patting Akira’s and Goro’s shoulders as they walked slowly towards the train station.

It started raining softly by the time they got to Yongen-Jaya, and they ended up having to run from the station to Leblanc, trying their best not to get drenched on the way. As usual during rainy days, the café was empty; and Sojiro sighed when they came in, shaking his head and mumbling about how he hoped it was an actual customer for once – even though Goro always made a point of paying for his coffee. Akira looked down into his bag at sleeping Morgana and smiled tiredly up at Goro.

“Will you wait a moment? I’ll just put him on the bed, so he can sleep in peace.” he murmured, and Goro rubbed the back of his neck, smiling lightly.

“We can talk upstairs, if you don’t mind.”

“Uh-oh, embarrassed to discuss in front of this old man?” Sojiro smirked at them lightly, before pouring them two cups of coffee and carefully setting them down. “Just as well. Just make sure not to spill it, alright?”

“Yes, Boss.” Goro smiled gratefully and picked up their coffees, as the two of them – plus Morgana – moved slowly up the stairs and settled down on the couch, with the cat sprawled on his back beside them, snoring quietly.

“Look at him.” Akira laughed, slumping against Goro’s side and smiling as he has finally been allowed to rest his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the position. “And he was the one who protested us leaving this early the most…”

“You’re both tired. And besides, we don’t need to hurry too much. I’d rather we take the infiltration slower and safer than rush into things head-first.”

“It’s so relaxing, having you on our team. I feel so safe.” Akira purred, hearing Goro’s smile as he raised his hand up; somewhat hesitantly touching his hair, and then starting to play with them as Akira made a little, content sound and leaned into the touch.

“It’s not as if you have anything to compare it to, idiot.” he murmured quietly, and Akira smiled as well.

_Right. I do not. Not this time…_

“Anyway… Did you _see me_ today?”

There was a soft, excited note in Goro’s voice; and from the tone of it and how quickly he said it, Akira felt like the detective wanted to talk about this for hours now, and was simply stopping himself until they were alone and in private. He couldn’t help but smile more; moving a little bit closer, getting a little bit more comfortable on the detective’s shoulder. The scent of coffee invaded his nostrils, and he guessed Goro took a sip of it before continuing to talk excitedly, bouncing slightly on the couch.

“Is this how it feels for you, when you recruit shadows? I didn’t know I could do that! I suspected I could… I… I even…” Goro hesitated; his hand stilling for a moment before resuming to play with Akira’s hair. “I, erm… tried to. When I was alone in Mementos, a few times. But it never worked! The shadows just kept laughing at me or getting angry. I tried to talk with them the way you did, but with that Leanan Sidhe, I… I didn’t even think of recruiting her! I was just thinking… as you spoke with her, I thought ridiculously that Ann would get angry too if you replied to her in that way, she really doesn’t like when someone gets all vague and unable to decide what they want, and…” Goro finally took a breath, shifting a bit, so that Akira slipped a little more towards his front, now resting more against his chest than his shoulder. The raven didn’t mind. As he listened to Goro talk, he allowed himself to relax, allowed himself to enjoy Goro’s voice washing over him. He suspected the detective won’t feel at peace until he talked his fill about what had happened; and he was more than happy to let him. Listening to his boyfriend’s voice as he explained how it felt; how he could feel her, a part of him he had never before understood he had, how it affected him, the hope he now had for gathering even more Personas, for getting even stronger, and defeating Shido with that strength…

Somewhere along the way, Akira’s breath evened out. He didn’t notice the moment Goro finished talking; he didn’t notice how his head slowly slipped down, until finally it rested on his boyfriend’s lap. And as he slept, exhausted, next to still-snoring Morgana, he didn’t see the soft, loving look Goro looked down at him with as he let him rest, his fingers threading gently through the raven’s soft locks.

 

* * *

 

Kaneshiro’s Palace was difficult to tear through for all of them, and Akira has been stubborn in making them take it slowly, over the whole week since their first real attempt at infiltration.

They weren’t just busy tackling floor after floor of Kaneshiro’s labyrinth of a bank – Akira had also insisted on them taking another trip to Mementos in between the infiltration trips, so that they could train more before finally securing their infiltration route and having to face Kaneshiro in the final battle.

The Phantom Thieves did whine and call him overly cautious all of a sudden, but none of them really complained. And no matter how many times Ryuuji groaned and Makoto sighed about how she wished they already had this behind themselves, they all followed Akira’s instructions without many reservations. Akira was grateful they trusted him enough to not question his caution; though he supposed that, having faced shadows in that place, again and again, none of them had many complaints over how Akira tried his best to keep everyone safe and as prepared as possible.

The week has been a hectic one in other ways, too. Whenever they were not infiltrating or training, Akira worked hard to catch up on these of his friends he’s been neglecting so far. This has proven to be somewhat more tricky than the raven had anticipated, however; since for some reason, every time they had some freedom during this week, the person he would message in order to hang out would inevitably apologize and say they had other plans, and Akira had to change his own and find someone else to spend time with.

The first time it happened, with Ryuuji, he signed it off as coincidence. But the next day, Ann had the same excuse, that she was busy; the next day, Yusuke couldn’t hang out because of a previously organized appointment and the next, Ann tried to squirm away again, only to tell him, obviously feeling bad, that she’ll move the other thing after all and spend time with him.

And the strangest thing was, none of his friends, once he actually managed to meet up with them, wanted to tell him what these sudden _appointments_ were all about.

Goro didn’t have much time for him over that week, either; though for that, Akira was actually strangely grateful. Not because he didn’t love spending time with his boyfriend; but because it was increasingly easy for him to neglect everyone and everything else if it meant he could laugh with Goro one more time…

…or fall asleep on him again.

After the evening at Leblanc, Akira – sore and uncomfortable as he was after sleeping on the uneven couch and in his clothes – woke up to find his room deserted, save for Morgana still snoring happily beside him. His glasses has been folded on the table next to him, and he was covered in a soft blanket that has ben neatly tucked around him as he slept; and with a soft blush and a smile on his face, he read the messages on his phone, of Goro telling him he had to go not to miss his last train and that he didn’t want to wake him up.

Both of them blushed softly and smiled at one another knowingly when they met for the infiltration the next day; and Akira felt like his entire being has been filled with something soft and sweet and light ever since.

 Still, there was no time for either of them for repeat, and they both knew it; so when after their most recent infiltration attempt, during which they finally braved through the guard before the elevator and managed to find a safe room right before the lock-like room that was the last one separating them from the treasure, Akira was surprised to see Goro linger again as all of them slipped from the Metaverse and agreed to finish the infiltration – finally – the next day.

“Akira, I have a request.” the detective started, and Akira nodded, leaning against the railing. Since their infiltration attempts were better-paced and shorter these days, he didn’t feel even half as tired as after the first one; and even Morgana stuck his head from Akira’s bag instead of curling up there to sleep, as usual.

“I feel like I owe you a favour after falling asleep on you the other night.” the raven murmured with a smile, shrugging. “What can I do for you?”

“Are you planning another trip to Mementos before our final infiltration?”

“Well…” Akira frowned, shaking his head lightly. “I mean, we had two of these already. I’m fairly content with how much everyone has improved, especially Makoto and your Leanan Sidhe. I don’t think there’s a need for us to go there the third time.”

“I see.” Goro nodded quietly, before rubbing his chin. He was wearing his gloves again, Akira noted, though not without reminding himself that Goro _was_ making a conscious effort to leave them at home as often as he could bring himself to. He wasn’t going to try and force his pace on this one, if it was something his boyfriend tried actively to improve in himself.

“Were you counting on another trip?” he asked, once it seemed like Goro had slipped into deep thought again; only to blink as the realization hit him. “Ah… wait, you want to try recruiting more personas, is that it?”

Goro rolled his eyes at him, and Akira couldn’t help but chuckle. It was the truth that, despite trying his very best, ever since recruiting the Leanan Sidhe Goro has been unsuccessful in any negotiation with shadows he tried to undertake, even with their help. He seemed to struggle to connect to some shadows more than others, and even many text-conversations with Akira later when the raven boy tried to help him form a strategy, he still remained with three personas only.

“I am simply starting to feel like Mementos might be a good training ground not just for fighting, that’s all.” Goro shrugged, before sighing lightly. “Plus… as much as I loathe to say so, I might need… a tutor.”

“…you want me to teach you how to recruit personas?”

“Well, not _teach me_ … I know you’ve been trying to help me, but… I simply don’t feel like I quite got the gist of it. I was thinking… perhaps we could stay after a mission to Mementos, together, and you could show me how you do it, and then I could try it in turn…”

“You two are going to get yourself killed.” Morgana scoffed quietly, looking with a frown at the two of them. “Going to Mementos with just the two of you? While the shadows are this strong down there?”

“I was actually hoping you could lend me your strength and expertise as well, Morgana.” Goro smiled at the cat brightly, and Akira had to stop himself from grinning at the obvious manipulation. Morgana let out a little purr as he hummed, pretending to think about it.

“Well, I suppose it _is_ imperative our second wild card would realize his full potential before we get even deeper into Kaneshiro’s, and with me on the lookout for you two…”

“Then that’s settled.” Goro smiled again and looked up at Akira. “…as long as you’ll help, of course.”

“As if you have to ask.” Akira shook his head with a little laughter. “Come on. Neither of us is too tired today, and we still have time until evening. We should be able to make some progress today.”


	24. Bonds of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira helps Goro discover the full potential of his power, and the Phantom Thieves finally take care of Kaneshiro's Palace

“How do you… _do_ that…”

Goro wheezed, his usually so pristinely-white outfit now rather dirty from the few times he has been knocked down to the Mementos’ ground in his attempts to get the shadows to recognize him as their master. Akira sighed and shook his head, reaching a hand out to help his boyfriend up, while Morgana stood before them, frowning as he looked from one to the other. Akira closed his eyes briefly once Goro was up, and released the Makami they were training on from his mask.

It had to be hours later, the raven decided; it certainly felt like it was. Just as Goro had requested of him, he had shown him; again and again, how did his negotiation work, how did he convince the shadows to join him. And yet, Goro couldn’t quite grasp it. Every time he tried to make the shadows recognize him, they ended up getting angry or – worse yet – turned to Akira instead.

“Not to be judgy here or anything, but you kinda suck at this, Crow.” Morgana sighed, shaking his head – and earning a rather annoyed glare from the detective. Akira frowned, leaning against one of the rather disgustingly pulsating walls of the corridor they were in right now, fixing his gloves absent-mindedly.

“It’s not about being bad or good at it.” he tried to comfort his boyfriend. “I just… I know these guys already, so it’s easier for me.”

“What do you mean, know them.” Goro huffed, annoyed. “You never recruited a Makami when we were at Madarame’s, at least not when I was watching.”

 _Ah, shoot_.

“What I mean,” Akira said, keeping his voice even. “is… look, you said it yourself. That Leanan Sidhe made you think of Ann, right? I feel the same way. It’s like… the more people you know, the more different… uh… not personalities, but… aura? Disposition..? You can recognize in the shadows. I mean, they are, uh, _beings floating in the sea of human thought_ or something along these lines. So try to… I don’t know. Try to think of someone who’d be familiar to you while you encounter a particular shadow. And try to think how you’d talk to that person, and try to approach the shadow the same way. It doesn’t always work, but…”

“Hm.” Goro hummed quietly, rubbing his chin and closing his eyes briefly. He seemed to be taking in the new information; and then, his eyes lit up as he looked at Akira.

“Of _course_!” He exclaimed, making both the raven and Morgana raise their eyebrows at him. “It’s just like with Robin Hood, then… of _course_ , how did I not see it sooner? Very well. Let’s see…”

Admittedly, Akira didn’t quite understand what Goro was talking about; but the next shadow they encountered, a rather gloomy-looking Mokoi, was another fiasco. Goro didn’t seem to be loosing heart from it, however. He simply shrugged and said he couldn’t think of anyone the shadow reminded him of.

The next one they tackled, however, was a Shiki-Ouji; and Akira was incredibly glad they had Morgana with them, because he just made it so much easier to knock the damn thing down for negotiation…

For a moment, as they held him up and Akira let Goro take the lead, the detective just stood there, thinking. And then, he opened his eyes, and…

“Will you talk with me?”

“…then, let’s talk. Once me understand you, me lend you my power.”

Akira watched as Goro smiled, nodding encouragingly; watched as the Shiki-Ouji shifted a bit, starting to talk with him.

“…human, you dumb. This territory ours. Why you keep trampling here? What you humans thinking?”

“Ugh, you talk too loud.” Goro rolled his eyes, a hint of laughter in his voice. The Shiki-Ouji shifted again. It looked… _pleased_.

“You only say that because you no have good answer. Me can tell you incompetent.”

Akira waited for Goro to get annoyed; but he didn’t. He just smiled at the Shiki-Ouji a bit, his leg jumping slightly in hidden energy. The raven smiled. He was… imagining talking with Ryuuji, wasn’t he? Bickering with him, pushing one another around jokingly. It was a good choice.

“…young human, me see you make effort to talk to me. There something you want to say to me, right?”

“Something, like what, let me touch your paws?” Goro said, with a shit-eating grin; and the Shiki-Ouji gasped and shifted again.

“Me not want to do it. You not can try to push me to do what you humans like. Me not sure why, but you not seem like stranger to me… hm, I remember now!”

The swoosh of red-blue fire, the sudden shift of the world around them; like a strong gust of wind coming on into them. Akira watched as the Shiki-Ouji turned into a blazing mask that swooped onto Goro’s own, leaving the boy breathless – but grinning and victorious.

“I did it!” he exclaimed the moment it was over, jumping in the air lightly. “On purpose now! Alright, let’s try again…”

By the time the detective finally conceded on them going home – and he did it no sooner than once the personas he gathered crowded his mask so much the new ones refused to join him on these basis alone – he had quite a nice collection to choose from. Regent picked him as someone he knew even before Goro uttered a word to him; Jack Frost needed two tries, but he could be persuaded. And finally, once Akira interjected, threatening the unwilling Asparas to remain calm and listen to the detective properly, she too joined his boyfriend. He had seven of them now, and looked absolutely gleeful as they rode Monabus back to Mementos’ entrance.

“Once I knew the trick, it was easier than I expected.” Goro grinned lightly, stretching back on his seat as Akira brought them around the corner, chancing a little glance and a smile to the side, watching his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye.

“You have quite a few of them now. Just make sure you don’t try to strategize _too_ much. I found it hard to use different personas all at once during the fight. You need to give yourself a little time to get used to each of them.”

“I’ll remember.” Goro smiled back at him. “Now the only question I have is, how do _you_ get personas different than the shadows we encountered so far. Apart from Arsene, of course.”

“Hm? Well, you can get different personas in your Velvet Room. I assume you have one, too, being a wild card and all.”

“…a velvet room?”

“Velvet Room.” Akira smiled lightly, emphasising the words. “Capital letters. Not a room that is made of velvet, though now I think of it, maybe that, too. Anyway… didn’t you ever dream of a strange blue room? When you awakened for the first time, maybe?”

“I…” Goro frowned, sitting back upright once more. Akira’s smile fell; and he frowned as he looked to the side again for a second, before focusing his eyes back on the tracks before them.

“…you’ve never been there?”

“I think… I _think_ I dreamt of a room like that.” the detective said, very slowly. “Once upon a time, after my awakening. With a strange… man… in there. With a…”

“…long nose?”

“You know him, too, then?”

“Well, _know him_ is a bit much. His name is Igor.” Akira shook his head. His hands tightened on the steering wheel a bit, but otherwise, he didn’t let it show just what he truly thought of the impostor currently taking Igor’s rightful place.

“Igor… I see. So you were able to speak with him?”

“Weren’t you?”

Goro shook his head, bringing one knee to his chest as he sat – to Morgana’s quiet, meowy protest over putting dirty shoes on his upholstering.

“I… it was so long ago. I remember him talking to me, but… nothing more than that. How do you… how do you get into that room? By yourself, I mean?”

Akira smiled and stopped the Monabus; the entrance to Mementos shone with soft, subdued light before them as they exited the car and walked slowly towards the gates.

“I can’t be sure if you’ll be able to get to it the same way I do, but I’ll show you how I do it. Don’t worry; I’ll guide you every step of the way.” he smiled, looking back at his boyfriend and taking his hand as they walked together out into the real world.

 

* * *

 

They had underestimated how tired Goro would be, admittedly. Akira knew his boyfriend was holding up only thanks to the Metaverse influence, and the moment they left he felt him tug on his hand and let out a soft, little _“…oh…”_ as he stumbled and leaned against him.

Still, Goro had insisted they go and see this Velvet Room Akira promised him to show; and so, with the detective’s arm around his shoulders and Morgana falling asleep in his bag, the raven stumbled obediently to the alleyway by the airsoft shop. Goro frowned at him once he realized where they were going, but he didn’t say anything – obviously opting to trust him on that one.

Lavenza beamed at the two of them once they turned into the alleyway, and Akira grinned back; only to feel Goro gasp and stumble as they drew near; his eyes wide as he stared at the entrance to the Velvet Room.

“You have brought a guest with you, my Trickster.” Lavenza chuckled, and Akira smiled at her, gently slipping out from under Goro’s arm.

“Yes; can he… can he come in here as well?”

“It seems he can see the entrance now, that you have guided him to it.” the girl nodded. “I do not see how the false god could deny him any further, now that his cognition has been changed…”

“Should you be saying all this?” Akira blinked, looking to the side at Goro; who was staring at him with an incredulous look.

“W-who are you talking to?” he said, hesitantly. It was Akira’s turn to blink back at him.

“Though he can see the entrance, and enter the Velvet Room at his leisure, he cannot see me, my Trickster.” Lavenza smiled softly up at Akira. “I am _your_ attendant, and we are still locked away from his perception, me and my true master; much like I have been locked away from you during your first game. He will have his own attendant coming to retrieve him shortly. I do not think you will be able to see them, however.”

“I see.” Akira nodded at the girl, before turning to Goro, squeezing his hand gently in reassurance.

“I’m sorry. I was talking with my Velvet Room attendant. Essentially, they’re… someone who helps you, with personas, fusions, explaining how stuff works and everything. Don’t expect straight answers from them, though.” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “My attendant’s name is Lavenza; and she says you can’t see her, but she’s standing right here.” Akira indicated the girl, who nodded, though was looking at him rather coldly for the _don’t expect straight answers_ bit.

“Do I… will I have an attendant, too, once I get inside this place?” Goro blinked; it was clear he tried very hard to take all of this in with as little fuss as possible.

“Lavenza says that yes, they’ll come for you shortly. I won’t see them, though.” Akira nodded, only to blink when for the second time today, Goro stiffened, clutching on Akira’s hand. The detective stared at the point over Lavenza’s head, in front of the Velvet Room entrance, and then looked quickly between Akira and the spot he was staring at before. He took a small step forward, once again looking back at Akira as he did.

“…are you… are _you_ my attendant?” he murmured, turning back to the entrance to the Velvet Room; and then letting out a little breath at what Akira could only think was a confirmation. And then, Goro looked back at him again.

“I think I’ll be heading inside now.” he said, trying to sound even. Akira nodded with a smile.

“I’ll wait for you right here. Take your time.”

“Alright. I trust you.”

Goro nodded and reached out his hand; smiling hesitantly as it curled, obviously holding onto his attendant’s own. Akira watched as the detective stepped forward; and just as he stepped through the Velvet Room’s entrance, he stood still, looking deep in thought. Akira called his name, but his boyfriend didn’t turn or look around; he simply stood there. Just how his friends described to him Akira himself did whenever he entered Velvet Room.

“How curious.” Lavenza hummed, hugging the book to her chest as she, too, looked at Goro’s unmoving silhouette. “I… was not expecting _him_ to appear, and yet… I suppose the power of a wild card’s conviction cannot be underestimated.”

“What do you mean?” Akira looked down at her, looking puzzled. Lavenza simply smiled at him.

“All Velvet Room attendants share certain characteristics, my Trickster. Looks, for example; our blue uniforms, white hair and yellow eyes. Apart from this, we are oftentimes brought upon by the need of people such as yourself; people whose fate it is to change the world. Never before, however, have I seen such a thing happen as a wild card entering Velvet Room because of being guided there by another wild card. To think such an occurrence might bring about something like this?”

“…and you _glare_ at me when I say you can’t explain anything in a way I would understand easily.” Akira sighed, shaking his head lightly at her, watching her giggle.

“I apologize.” the girl giggled, shaking her head. “I suspect you will understand what I mean soon enough, my Trickster.”

They stood quietly in the alleyway after that; Akira lost in thought, Lavenza seemingly content with allowing him to think in peace.

Then – some twenty minutes or so later – the silhouette of Goro shifted and took a shaky step back, and Akira had only just managed to step in and catch him before the detective was bending in two, held up by his arms, violently throwing up at the cold, dirty pavement of the alleyway.

Akira needed only a second to gather himself together; immediately moving the other so that he was more comfortable and pushing his hair out of the way with his free hand, scrunching his face as he tried to comfort his boyfriend through being sick. Once Goro was done, Akira hoisted him up on shaky legs and started rummaging through his bag, waking Morgana, before pulling out a bottle of water and a pack of tissues with which he gently wiped Goro’s face before giving him the water to rinse out his mouth.

“T-Thanks…” the detective mumbled, not looking at him, still pale and shaky. Akira shook his head gently, looking at him with worried eyes; and then, seeing as Goro shot a few looks from him to the Velvet Room entrance, it hit him.

“…you fused some of your personas, didn’t you.” he said, with sudden understanding. Goro only nodded, a little shiver running down his back. Akira took in a small breath, rubbing his shoulders gently.

“I know it’s gruesome. I should have warned you, I’m sorry…” he murmured.

“I-I… They didn’t tell me how it’s going to…” Goro took a sharp breath, closing his eyes briefly. “I don’t think Ren _could_ have told me, he didn’t say a word to me the whole time, but I thought Igor would—”

“Ren?” Akira tilted his head, and Goro shuddered, taking a few more long sips of water.

“My… my attendant. You didn’t see him, did you…? He… looks like you. Exactly like you, just with white hair and yellow eyes… only, he’s… I think he’s mute. Igor said his name is Ren…”

For a long moment, all Akira could do was stare. He remembered, too late, Lavenza’s words that confused him so much before. So… Goro’s guide to the Metaverse… his Velvet Room attendant, was… _him_? Was it because of what Akira himself did, because he had _shown him_ the Velvet Room? But then…

“…come on. You need to sit down.” Akira murmured gently, shaking the thoughts off. Without even realizing what he was doing, he leaned in, pressing a gentle, comforting kiss to Goro’s temple. They both stilled, suddenly realizing what had happened; and then, both blushed, with Goro pushing himself shakily off the wall and leaning on Akira gently, avoiding his eyes, but smiling. The flush was an improvement of his pale face, at least, Akira nodded with an embarrassed smile of his own.

“O-okay.” he murmured, leaning more against Akira. “Where..?”

“Airsoft shop. Iwai’s kinda tough-looking, but he won’t throw us out.” Akira smiled, helping Goro towards the shop. As they stumbled inside, Iwai looked up at them from over his shoes, a frown creasing his face.

“…jesus, what did you drag in here this time, kid?”

“Sorry.” Akira grinned sheepishly. “Can you spare a chair for us? My boyfriend got sick.”

Iwai raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t comment. For a long moment, he regarded the two of them – and then sighed and pulled his legs down, standing up and nodding for them to follow him. Goro somehow still found the strength to send Akira a scandalized look. _How do you know a seedy person like that?_ it said. Akira shrugged lightly, lowering him carefully onto the chair.

“I work here sometimes.” he hummed, leaning against some boxes with parts while Iwai reappeared from behind a shabby curtain, carrying three mugs of tea. There was a strong scent of peppermint in the air.

“Here, drink this, kid.” he said, giving them the mugs – before pointing his finger at Akira. “And _you_ , good thing you stopped by. I have a new shipment coming and I’ll need you to clean up the mess, so you’re staying here, gun enthusiast.”

Akira smiled lightly, but didn’t argue. He watched as Goro wrapped his fingers around the cup and took a sip from it; and wondered, not for the first time, what was his boyfriend thinking about, as lost in thoughts as he was right now.

 

* * *

 

Their last infiltration trip went even smoother than what Akira had expected; and Goro became a proud owner of an Angel somewhere along the way, with surprisingly little resistance from the winged creature.

Ever since mastering the art of negotiation with shadows, his boyfriend seemed to become even more self-assured in the Metaverse; and consequently, it was him who seemed to be getting stronger and stronger with every passing minute more than anyone else from their group. Akira couldn’t help but smile as he watched this, as they ploughed their way, slowly and painstakingly, towards the centre of the room and the last elevator.

Never in any other Palace they took care of, in this run or the last one, did Akira remember them welcoming the sight of the un-materialized treasure with this much relief and jubilation. They had left the Metaverse with smiles all around on that day; and Makoto almost skipped as she asked Ryuuji and Morgana to help her with the calling card, before turning – to Akira’s surprise – to Goro.

And she was _smiling_.

Makoto was smiling at Goro, and he was smiling lightly, if sheepishly, back.

“Would you like to help as well, Goro-kun?” she asked, and hearing the detective’s name, Akira was now convinced something strange had to happen between the two; not that he had any chance for questioning his boyfriend, as the detective simply nodded with a _“Of course, Makoto-san.”_ and waved at the stunned raven before walking away with their group. Akira felt slight relief that though Ann had a knowing smile on her face, at least Yusuke seemed just as flabbergasted as he himself was.

And neither Goro nor Makoto wanted to tell him what had changed, when he messaged them later that night, either. Akira was definitely missing something there.

The next day came too early for the raven’s liking, after an uneasy, but thankfully void of nightmares night. They had agreed to steal Kaneshiro’s treasure at once, after all; and even on his way to school Akira has been hearing a lot about their calling cards, posted all around Shibuya, impossible to miss. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm down his heart.

Today, it will finally end. Today, they will be able to put Kaneshiro’s case to bed, and the awful pressure Akira always felt connected to being on schedule, with a tangible deadline, will finally let him go.

All of them seemed to feel the same as they gathered, serious and anxious to begin, in their Shibuya hideout – Goro already suggesting that after this, they should switch it again to something less conspicuous. The day was sunny and sweltering-hot; and Akira watched as Goro loosened his tie before pulling out his phone, looking around all of them.

“Are we ready?” he asked, and when everyone nodded, punched in the MetaNav.

Not for the first time, Akira felt that they were just so much better off with Goro on their team. Not just because of his strength and the Ability to wield multiple personas, like himself; but now, that him and Makoto seemed to be working with better teamwork than ever, Akira could truly appreciate how much they lacked the detective properly on their team before.

Of course, Kaneshiro – and his damn piggy-bank monster – were still an exhausting opponent to tear through, but with good strategy intact, proper items on hand and most of all, after tearing through this many strong enemies on their way for this Treasure, the fight almost seemed too easy.

Only for a moment did Akira feel anxious as they took turns in trying to destroy the persistent fly Kaneshiro represented to them – and that was when everyone except for himself has been inflicted with fear. That was easy enough; he made sure to be able to heal his friends, should the need arise.

Seeing their desperate, terrified faces all around him, however…

It was good the fight was over soon.

Last few attacks, and Makoto finishing Kaneshiro off with one last shot; and the damn piggy bank was breaking down, spilling gold all over the floor as Kaneshiro’s shadow laid sprawled over it, groaning as they walked towards him, spilling excuses and begging for mercy.

It was Goro who yelled at him to move away; an expression of contempt on his lips that turned to surprise when the shadow shuddered and then, flopping slackly back against the gold, shook his head – and _smiled_.

Too late Akira realized what was going to happen. Too late did he understand the words that were about to be said and their effect on their group – and Goro especially.

He was too late to stop Kaneshiro from talking, and the damage has already been done.

“Seriously? You guys don’t have any tact. Especially with that incredible power… These Palaces could net you loads of cash! You could do whatever you wanted to people’s hearts!”

“We’re not like you!” Ryuuji yelled, disgust clear in his voice.

“Where do you find meaning in that naïve sense of justice..? You know, there’s already someone out there taking full advantage of what Palaces have to offer…”

“What..?” Makoto gasped, breathlessly. Akira looked to the side, watching as Goro almost physically recoiled. He looked… he looked as if someone had hit him, hard. And Akira had no idea how to stop this, how to help… Focused on Kaneshiro, everyone else seemed not to notice, but…

“I’ll let you in on a little something… There’s a criminal using other people’s Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don’t care about the consequences. Psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns… Anything goes.”

“Spill it! Who’re you talkin’ about?!”

 “Don’t even bother.” Shadow Kaneshiro cackled. “You are nothing compared to them… Better be careful… a chance encounter with them could prove fatal…”

The shadow cackled one last time; and then, his yellow eyes looked directly into Akira’s, just as he looked back at him.

“Yeah… better be careful of the man in the black mask…”


	25. Clutches of Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rain falls over Tokyo; and Akira and Goro have to deal with what Kaneshiro had told them.

The hot, humid, sticky air enveloped and strangled them as they fell out of the Metaverse. Tired and sore all over, they hardly looked the great heroes of justice just done with another victorious fight; instead, Akira couldn’t help but feel like they all looked very much the way he was feeling at the moment.

Ryuuji grabbed both Morgana and Kaneshiro’s case; but before they could gather themselves up completely and move into a less public place, the familiar cries of _isn’t that Akechi-kun?_ resounded all around them, and the detective ducked into the crowd and out of view even before any of them could exchange a word with him.

And Akira very much needed that word.

Of course, what they had heard Kaneshiro say by the end of the fight wasn’t news to him. Akira cursed himself for not foreseeing this. He has been so focused on helping them get through that Palace safely and in one piece, so focused on guiding Goro into the Velvet Room and helping his boyfriend get a better grasp on his wild card powers that after managing to not have him on that picture, the thought that there was something more – one more significant event happening during their infiltration of Kaneshiro’s Palace – completely slipped his mind. What’s more, Akira found himself wondering just how was this possible – in this world, in this timeline where Goro was his boyfriend, where he was sweet and genuine and trusting, where he had friends he could rely on and be happy spending time with… that in such a world and such a timeline, someone like Black Mask still existed.

And yet, of course he did. Akira allowed himself to… well, not forget, but push out of his mind the fact that whether they met for the first time in April or May, as strangers or as hunter and prey, Goro had still had access to the Metaverse for years before. That he had done bad, terrible things; and that, though the boy he knew now allowed himself to hope and wished for a chance at redemption for himself, he was still not without fault.

How did it have to feel, to be suddenly reminded of whom he once was, before Akira, before the Phantom Thieves? The raven didn’t blame Goro for running away. How much he wished they could both just run away from the past, himself…

The rest of the Phantom Thieves showed worry, too. Makoto and Yusuke Akira wasn’t worried about – they didn’t see Goro summon Loki, they didn’t see him enraged and dangerous, even if they heard of it from him and the others; even from Goro himself. He didn’t think Ryuuji and Ann would suspect Goro of being the Black Mask immediately, either – how could they suspect their friend, someone they knew, fought with and liked, to be the ruthless criminal Kaneshiro described?

And yet…

They all agreed to meet up at Leblanc in few days’ time to see their loot properly, with everyone there, and split the spoils. Akira wished that, for once, he wouldn’t be asked to take care of everything, so that he could look for Goro before going back home but, alas… he had to take care of the damn case filled with pretend-money and leave it at Leblanc, not to mention take care of Morgana’s injuries.

“ _Ouch!_ Will you be careful with that!” the cat yelled, and Akira shook his head, smiling fondly as he moved his hands up in defeat.

“Look, I didn’t even touch you. I need to clean that or your paw will get even more hurt.”

“Tch… _fine_ … You’re doing such a clumsy job now, and— _ouch!_ ”

Akira rolled his eyes, continuing to work. No matter how worried he was of Goro’s reaction and his disappearance, he cheered himself up thinking the detective simply went home. Once he was done with Morgana, he’ll just go back to Shibuya and visit; and they’ll talk, and everything will be alright once more.

Certainly.

Definitely.

“…Akira?”

The raven looked up; his eyes meeting Morgana’s blue, worried gaze. Slowly, Akira lowered his hands, tying the bandage he was wrapping around the cat’s paw carefully before leaning back on his chair.

Yusuke, Makoto, Ann and Ryuuji he wasn’t that worried about figuring Goro out too soon. Morgana, though…

“What is it?”

“…look.” The cat sighed, carefully putting some weight on his paw to test it, before sitting down, starting to clean himself. “I just… I want to make sure of something. I know Goro is one of us now; and I know you two are all lovey-dovey and… stuff. But… About what Kaneshiro had said today. I didn’t want to mention anything with the others, but… just how long Goro had his powers before you met him? Do you know what he did with them?”

“You think he’s the Black Mask?” Akira asked, forcing himself to sound casual. Morgana sighed.

“I don’t know what to think. He does _have_ a black mask, we all saw it; and we also know he has had his powers for a while before we showed up. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but…”

Akira smiled sadly and reached his hand out, scratching lightly behind Morgana’s ears.

“I trust Goro.” he said simply, knowing he was avoiding the question – and knowing that he, himself, dreaded the answer to it. “Not just because he’s my boyfriend, Mona. He saved our lives countless times, and he, more than anyone else, makes always sure we don’t go too far as the Phantom Thieves. Does that sound like the Black Mask to you?”

“…no.” Morgana mumbled; and Akira knew he was thinking back to the other Goro they knew; to _Loki’s_ Goro. As if realizing this, the cat frowned, his ears flicking lightly.

“You know… I just… that Persona he used. Do you think… but he couldn’t control that thing properly. Even if he could, then Goro’s not the kind of guy to just…”

“Morgana.” Akira shook his head. “We can ask Goro about this, later, once we’re all here. But… I don’t want you theorizing and talking about this without us all gathered together.”

“Do you think Goro will answer? If you ask him something like this?” Morgana frowned again, his ears flicking, his eyes cautious, filled with worry. Akira bit his lip and looked away.

“…I trust him.” he said, again, quietly; and saw Morgana sigh.

“Akira… I know you two are close. But—”

“Do you think Goro is the kind of person to use the Metaverse however he sees fit just for fun, or for money, like Kaneshiro had said?”

Morgana hesitated; and then moved back, into a half-laying position. He looked almost like a sphinx, and Akira had a distinct feeling the cat was embarrassed. It almost felt like he was about to blush.

“Of course not! I just… I’m sorry. We’re all tired, and after that fight… You’re right. I trust Goro, too. He never gave any of us any reason to doubt him… it wouldn’t be fair to suspect him.” Morgana mumbled. Akira smiled a somewhat relived smile, patting the cat’s head.

“Hey. I get you’re worried. I am, too. But just… let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll meet up to discuss the loot, and we’ll discuss the Black Mask then, too – if that person even exists in the first place, since we can't rule out Kaneshiro was just lying. And you can stay with me and Goro so we can ask him, in private, to tell us about how he got his powers and how he was using them before we met. Will that make you feel better?”

“Yeah, that sounds… that sounds good.” Morgana smiled lightly, before yawning and standing up, moving towards the bed. “Thanks, Leader. And… sorry. For jumping to conclusions.”

Akira smiled again and waved his hand dismissively; trying to pretend like a huge weight hadn’t just fell off his heart. It felt bad; deceiving his friends, and Morgana in particular, like this. And yet… if it meant he could protect Goro just a little bit longer, then…

Akira’s phone buzzed, and he almost fell over himself, trying to grab it as fast as possible, hoping Goro had seen his messages; hoping he replied. Yusuke’s nick on the screen made him sigh as he opened the app.

 

 **DaVinci:** Akira, may I have a question for you?

 **Theo:** sure, what is it?

 **DaVinci:** are you with Goro right now? he has failed to return home and he seems to be ignoring my messages. I thought, perhaps you two were preoccupied…

 **Theo:** he’s not home?

 **DaVinci:** no, he has not returned ever since we came back from the Metaverse.

**Theo:**

**Theo:** stay home, Yusuke. If he turns up, let me know, alright?

 **DaVinci:** understood. Please contact me when you find him, Akira

 **Theo:** I will.

 

* * *

 

Where could Goro be?

Akira ran back to the station, earning a rather startled look from Sojiro as he flew past him on his way out of Leblanc, and being followed by Morgana’s annoyed meow at being left behind. The raven knew this wasn’t good. He, of course, understood Goro had to be distraught after what they all had heard; but to leave, without a word, and not turn back up home or at Leblanc or _anywhere…_ this was worrying. And Akira didn’t like it, not one bit.

Where would the detective run to, in a moment like this – when he had to feel anxious, when he had to panic and think through everything and anything Kaneshiro’s words could cause within their group and beyond. Akira checked Shibuya’s underground mall, checked the bakery he had once met Goro at, in that other future; checked his neighbourhood and the little park they had finished their date in last time, on such a sweet note, holding one another as the evening air wrapped around them, warm and pleasant and _safe_.

It felt like a lifetime ago now.

Akira sat heavily on the bench, his leg jumping almost as hard as Ryuuji’s would in a situation such as this. His phone buzzing made the raven startle and almost drop the device as he tried to pull it out of his pocket too fast again, breathing out a little, relived sigh when he saw Goro finally replied to more or less fifty messages he had sent him since they fell out of the Metaverse together.

 

 **Goro:** I’m ok. don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

 

Akira took a deep breath and, instead of trying to think of a response to that, simply pressed the call button; the phone hot and unpleasant against his sweaty temple as he pressed it to his ear.

Goro made him wait. Akira almost thought he won’t pick up; and when he finally did, he didn’t say anything. Still, it made the raven let out a breath of relief.

“Where are you..?”

_“…I don’t really want to talk right now.”_

“Uh-huh, but I do. And more than that, I need to hug you right now, so tell me where you are.”

Goro’s laughter on the other side of the phone was a rather hysterical one, void of any humour; and Akira felt himself grit his teeth and close his eyes as he imagined him, looking lost and scared and completely _alone_.

 _“…I don’t know where I am.”_ Goro finally said, in a small voice. _“There’s… there’s a playground… I ran along Shibuya’s central street and…”_

“I’ll find you.” Akira said, standing up. “So stay where you are, and wait for me.”

 

* * *

 

Admittedly, finding a random playground in whole of Shibuya was a bit more difficult a task than Akira had given it credit for – especially once he remembered that Goro was a fast runner, and one with considerable stamina, who could cover a pretty long distance pretty fast when he wanted to.

The air continued to get only hotter and more thick; feeling like hot steam clinging to Akira’s clothes and throat as he ran. Heavy drops started to fall by the time he had found his boyfriend; curled up on the edge of a broken carousel in a forgotten playground; knees brought close to his chest and face hidden from view.

“Goro…” Akira breathed, relief washing over him at the sight. His boyfriend was safe and sound; waiting for him, just as he asked him to. So then, it couldn’t have been this bad, could it? Akira was so relieved, he smiled, falling to his knees beside Goro, pulling him into a hug; only to gasp and stare in shock when the moment he tried to touch him, Goro had pushed him away.

And he still wouldn’t show him his face.

Akira let out a shuddering breath and slowly moved to the side, sitting beside Goro on the rather dirty piece of metal that remained from the carousel. The rain started falling in earnest, and Akira could hardly see the detective through his glasses anymore. He took them off, pushing his damp bangs away from his eyes. Goro didn’t mimic the gesture; he let his hair stick to his face, clinging to his pale skin like vines, hiding his expression from view.

“Goro, you can’t be taking what Kaneshiro had said seriously. He might not have been even talking about you.”

“He _was_ talking about me, you moron.” Goro growled quietly, and Akira sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, alright, so he was. It’s nothing I didn’t know, is it? And I’m still here. And you’re not… you’re not _the man in black mask_ anymore.” he tried. Another bark of that terrible, terrible laughter. Akira tried to move closer, but it only made Goro tense up more.

“ _You’re_ an idiot. The rest of _them_ isn’t. You’ve heard Ryuuji, you’ve _seen_ their faces. _We’re not like you_ …”

“Oh _come on_.” Akira shook his head, but before he could say anything else, Goro started to talk again; this time, his voice was cracking, breathless and fast, as if he tried to let the words out before they’d fail him. In the soft whispering of the rain, it was hard to understand him properly.

“Akira, I… I need to stop. I need to get away from you, or I’ll only get you killed with me, or worse, _by_ me. What Kaneshiro had said… it’s all true. Do you understand? I was the one who caused the psychotic breakdowns. I was the one behind the mental shutdowns. And I did it… I did all of it, just for myself. For my own _stupid_ revenge plot, because I wanted to be _recognized,_ to be…” Goro broke off; and Akira felt his heart break and his fists clench, unable to take the amount of pure self-hatred he could hear in Goro’s voice.

After a brief moment of silence, the detective started talking again; in a small, broken voice.

“I’ll resign from our group, and I’ll disappear. That’s the least I can do. You can tell them whatever you want, that we had an argument, that we broke up, that I don’t want to do it anymore, just…”

“…what the hell are you going on about?”

“Didn’t you _hear_ what he said?!” Goro’s voice rose for the first time; and for the first time, too, he looked at Akira. His eyes were red and wide and filled with panic; and the raven was momentarily lost for words, unable to form a coherent answer to that.

“Don’t you realize what that means, Akira?! Kaneshiro _knew_ about me! That means he was one of the men Shido offered my services to! That means I… that means… now we took him down, it _won’t_ be pretty! You don’t know that man, you don’t _realize_ how angry he can get when something hits too close to home! Madarame was fine, and I thought… I thought Kaneshiro had no way of being this close to the centre, but he _knew_ about me, he—”

“Goro, you need to calm down.” Akira finally managed to rasp out, grabbing Goro’s shoulders and holding him still, feeling the other’s hands wrap around his forearms, fingernails digging into his skin. He could still remember holding him like this back then, in Kamoshida’s Palace; calming him down, feeling the Black Mask’s claws dig into his skin.

Goro’s hair were completely wet now, sticking to his forehead and cheeks; his face was pale and he looked… he looked…

 _Terrified_.

“ _Calm down_ …?! You have no idea what just happened, Akira! You just don’t understand! It’s… we were supposed to take care of some criminals and snip away at Shido’s money tree, not take down someone who _knew about the Metaverse_! Listen, Shido doesn’t trust _anyone_ , me included, and people he offered to _help_ by using me are all pretty close to him! If Kaneshiro was one of them… if he knew what that is… Shido won’t try to just build his career on you, he’ll kill you! All of you, do you understand? He won’t stop until he’s found and destroyed every single one of you, and it’ll all be my fault and—”

“He won’t. Didn’t you say we had a plan? We’ll change his heart long before he has a chance of hurting any of us, or you, Goro. You need to—”

“You don’t _know_ how he is! And I can’t even _warn_ anyone else properly… who’d believe me, now that they know what I am? Ann, Ryuuji and Morgana saw Loki already… they’ll _know,_ they’ll figure out I was Black Mask before, they’ll hate me, they’ll never want to have anything to do with me again…”

A strangled sob escaped Goro’s lips, and Akira could do scarcely less than stare. He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand at all. Of course the raven knew Goro’s reaction will be a strong one; of _course_ he knew that. And yet, to see him shake in fear and anguish and to react this strongly to nothing more but a few words… it was almost impossible to comprehend.

Goro was never like this. He never allowed fear and panic to get in the way of his judgement. And yet, watching him now was like watching all of the detective’s fear and anxiety ooze out of him all at once.

For a moment, Akira wondered whether this was how he always was; and only didn’t let it show, bottling up the pain and anxiety to hide all of it from the world. Even from his friends; even from Akira himself.

It reminded him how he himself was, during the first time he had played this unjust game. How whenever he’d try to talk to someone about his own fears and anxieties, his friends would simply tell him he was overreacting; or that he wasn’t speaking very much like a leader; or they’d just laugh at him. Though it was nigh incomprehensible to him, somehow, Akira could empathize with what Goro was going through right now; and yet, he was at a loss of how to help him.

“…I didn’t hate you.” he said finally; and even though Goro protested weakly, this time, he pulled him tightly against his chest, hands trembling against Goro’s drenched shirt. He felt the detective’s hands flex weakly against his chest, as if he was debating whether to push him away again – only to grasp at the wet material and hold onto it, allowing himself the brief respite.

“I didn’t hate you even when you’ve told me what you’ve done. And neither will the Phantom Thieves. You just need to tell them, Goro. They _know_ you. They’ll understand. Who you were… it wasn’t because you wanted to be a person like that. But this made you who you are now, and they cherish and love you _now._ No matter what bad things you’ve done in the past, you’ve done a lot of good things, too. There’s more than Loki to you, even if he’s your true persona…”

The push came as a surprise; hard and sudden enough Akira let go in shock, falling off of the broken carousel with a soft gasp, landing in the mud. Goro was shaking; but his eyes were furious as he looked at him now, leaping to his feet.

“I am _not_ … Loki is _not_ …” he managed to growl out, fists clenched tightly. “How _could_ you… he’s… that’s… it’s not _me_ , it’s what _Shido_ had forced on me. Loki’s nothing but a _parasite_. I thought _you_ , of all people, would… You yourself admitted he’s dangerous! You yourself promised me you won’t ever let me use him again!”

Goro’s voice broke; and he shook his head, taking a few steps back; only to break into a run again, running away – not just from Akira, but from the truth he had heard from him, as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone reading! 
> 
> This story has reached not just more than 20k hits and 100k words, but 1500 kudos as well! In celebration of that, I have a few gifts for you. 
> 
> Firstly, in the comments to this chapter (and this one only) you can put your ideas for a oneshot (around 2k words) you would like to see me write. The story idea I like the most will be written and published sometime next week!
> 
> Secondly, I'll be holding an additional giveaway on twitter! Prizes include another 2k oneshot, getting to know details of future chapters of NG+ you might be curious about or getting to pick a detail or a scene you'd like to see in future chapters for me to write it in! You can find the giveaway tweet under [this link](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings/status/1063449179966578689?s=20), and it'll commence on November 23rd, so I will announce the winners in the next week's end notes :)


	26. What Really Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two days of silence, Goro Akechi visits Leblanc; and he's not the only one who does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoof actually drew fanart for this chapter! Thank you so much ;; you guys can see their beautiful art [right here!](http://spoofen.tumblr.com/post/182271634296/a-lil-something-i-drew-for-mikan-writings-for)

Goro has been quiet for the next two days – and after a day of sending him worried messages and begging – through text and Yusuke respectively – to reply to him, Akira found his worry turn progressively more into anger.

It wasn’t like he didn’t understand what had happened, or the reasons Goro had for lashing out at him, for panicking, for doing any of that, really. But for the raven, watching Goro running – always running away, from their argument, from Akira, from the Metaverse and the world in general – it was just too frustrating.

Why didn’t Goro see reason in this? Yes, Kaneshiro had told them about the Black Mask, and yes, they both knew he meant Goro. But Akira had already known all about that, and if he – he, who has once been almost murdered by the detective, even if Goro himself couldn’t have known that – didn’t push him away, why would the other Phantom Thieves? How could Goro have this little trust in them all?

Akira spent these two days in an extremely bad mood; and the weather seemed to mirror it. With rainy season there already, the skies were overcast from morning till night, and heavy rain drummed on the windows of his classroom as well as the roof of his attic, making an almost ridiculous amount of noise.

Morgana didn’t press him too much on the cause of his bad mood; and neither did the rest of the Phantom Thieves, though by the looks they shot him and the gentle way they spoke with each other, Akira figured out Yusuke passed on the rather strained situation currently between him and Goro on to the rest of them. The only short group chat they held since they were done with Kaneshiro ended up with them deciding to meet up later, perhaps when they will have more information about what had happened, apart from what Makoto had already told them. Otherwise, they all returned to their daily lives and waited for the dark clouds of their unspoken worries to pass.

Frankly, it felt almost refreshing, in this situation, to be invited out by Makoto in order for her to find out more about past-times of average high school students, and vent some of his pent-up frustration in the arcade. By the end of it, Akira was actually starting to smile as he watched Makoto squeal and jump around in front of the Gun About machine as she herself played. And though the bad mood didn’t leave him completely, Akira felt significantly better as he walked from the station towards Leblanc, thinking of making some infiltration tools they were running low on during the evening; when he stopped in his tracks, staring at the entrance.

Goro Akechi was standing there, obviously waiting for him. A large, translucent umbrella kept him safe and dry from the rain.

For one ridiculous moment, Akira wanted to ostentatiously turn around and march back towards the station – only to kick himself mentally for even considering that. Just seeing his boyfriend; looking tired and pale and tense, there before Leblanc, so obviously waiting for him in the pouring rain made most of Akira’s frustration and annoyance evaporate. He at least owed it to him to try and let them talk.

 _Now that Goro honoured him with his presence, he shouldn’t waste that chance, after all_.

Akira sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. No, he was being childish. It wasn’t Goro’s fault he got anxious and scared. Unlike _some people_ , Goro didn’t know that tackling down Kaneshiro’s Palace won’t have any immediate effect on them, or put any of them in any immediate danger. Were Akira not aware of this fact, would he still act so calm and self-assured as he did two days ago…?

“Goro.” he said quietly, watching as the detective’s head jerked up; eyes wary, as if he was trying to check whether Akira was mad at him, as if he was scared he’d see apprehension or blame in these silver eyes.

“…Akira.” the detective mumbled, staring at him through the rain. Akira kept his expression steady, trying hard not to care about how _weak_ Goro’s voice sounded.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me.” he said, quietly. “So all it took to get you to stop being a dick was ignoring you back, huh. Who would have thought?”

Goro ducked his head; he looked as if Akira had just hit him. And the raven felt dark, cruel satisfaction… for a second. And then, all he could feel was guilt and pain, because this _wasn’t_ right, this wasn’t…

“I’m _sorry_.” Goro whispered. It was hard to hear him through the rain. “I don’t know what I… I tried to…”

What frustration was left in the raven’s heart melted away. He couldn’t do this, he just couldn’t. With a sigh, instead of standing there in the rain, Akira moved closer, slipping under Goro’s umbrella as he folded his own, taking the detective’s free hand into his own.

He was wearing gloves again, Akira noted briefly, as he watched the play of emotions in Goro’s crimson eyes. He was surprised now; confused. The detective looked at him like he wasn’t sure what Akira was trying to do.

“Goro, you can’t just… run away every time something happens.” Akira whispered, and he was surprised at how _raw_ his voice sounded. All the worry; all the frustration seemed to pour into it. Goro’s eyes watered and he bit his lip, nodding sharply.

“Akira, I’m…”

“Let’s go inside. I’ll make you coffee.” Akira shook his head briefly; and watched as Goro’s expression faltered before he nodded, following him inside.

Leblanc was silent and almost empty. Sojiro looked up at them as they entered and grunted a greeting from over his crossword, and Goro let Akira nudge him towards his usual seat as the raven himself walked behind the counter and grabbed his apron.

“Can we steal some curry, too, Boss?”

“I’ll pay.” Goro murmured quietly, while Sojiro smiled fondly at the two of them and nodded, waving towards the kitchen. Akira moved there, unable to stop himself from smiling as he heard Goro call quietly after him.

“I do believe you said _coffee_.”

“I do believe you barely had anything for lunch today, judging by that gurgling sound I just heard.”

“I _did_ have lunch, for your information.”

“Was it just an apple?”

Akira could almost _hear_ Goro’s pout; and smiled to himself as he felt the tension between them lessen somewhat from the pleasant banter. He pulled out two plates and was just about to ladle a generous portion of curry onto the first one when the bell by the door chimed merrily, and he looked up; only to stare as he saw Sae there, closing the door behind herself as she shot Goro a sharp look. The detective looked surprised; but for now, she ignored him, looking up at Sojiro.

“…welcome.” Boss said, in the most unwelcoming voice Akira had heard in a while. Still, he indicated the seat next to the detective; only to frown when Sae shook her head at him, looking stern and tense.

“I don’t have time for coffee today, I’m afraid.” she said sharply, making Sojiro’s frown deepen.

“What do you want from here, then?” he asked, with no less cold a voice. “I’ve already told you everything I know.”

“Did you?” Sae asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “You seem awfully sure what I wanted to ask you, jumping to defence right away. I have reasons to suspect you’re hiding parts of Wakaba Isshiki’s research from me, Sakura-san. I do not enjoy being lied to.”

“I’ve already told you, I gave you people everything!” Sojiro retorted with annoyance; and Akira watched, mutely, as Sae narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips tightly together.

“…I have ways of making you talk, you know.” she said dangerously, before looking to the side, brushing an invisible grain of dust off the counter. “Wakaba Isshiki’s daughter… she hasn’t been seen in public for months, hasn’t she? Not attending school, being kept locked in her room… I wonder how social services would…”

“That’s _enough_.”

Akira, Sojiro and Sae all stared. In the whirlwind of the situation, Akira almost forgot what he was doing, and who was sitting by the counter apart from the three of them – his mind racing, trying to make sense of why on earth would Sae try to come and threaten Sojiro so early, when he distinctly remembered her come to do that for the first time the same day they had that unfortunate fireworks festival. That was some half a month away, still… so why…

His eyes fell on Goro; standing there and with his hands clenched into tight fists, his expression that of disbelief and rage; and then, he understood. With Goro being a part of the investigation along the Phantom Thieves, his reports to the police had to change, too. Perhaps not significantly, perhaps not by much; but perhaps, that was enough for Sae to get her suspicions earlier, as ironic as that would make it. That had to be it; that was the only explanation, but then…

“…excuse me, Akechi-kun?”

“Sae-san, last time I have read through our investigation procedures, threatening single fathers with taking away their daughters if they don’t cooperate was _not_ how we should be conducting an investigation.” the detective said, in a voice so icy cold Akira knew he’d growl if he could act freely, and not try to uphold his respectable persona at all times. Sae narrowed her eyes at him.

“That is none of your business, Akechi-kun.”

“It _is_ my business, because it’s also _my_ investigation you’re compromising, and my boyfriend’s caretaker you’re threatening.” Goro said fiercely, and Akira felt a completely ill-timed splash of colour spread over his cheeks. “I have always respected and looked up to you, Sae-san. Please, do not make me reconsider my respect for you.”

For a moment, they regarded each other; Akira could almost feel electricity in the air as their glares clashed. And then – to his surprise – Sae looked away, turned on her heel and left; and Goro fell slightly back against the counter, breathing heavily. A while longer, they all stood there in silence; and then, there was a soft _sniff_ coming from where Sojiro stood and the older man turned away, his eyes glistening from behind his glasses.

“…you didn’t have to, kid. I’d have fended her off.”

“Of course.” Goro said quietly, his own shoulders tense and his lips still pressed tightly together. The next moment, he tensed up even more, eyes wide, as Sojiro rested a hand briefly on his head; and then moved away, murmuring a gruff _thank you_.

For a little moment, it felt as if time had stopped, and Akira wasn’t in a hurry to start it back up. He reached over to the plates once more, but he has been once again stopped by Goro’s quiet voice; still shaking slightly, from what happened with Sae or with Sojiro, Akira wasn’t sure.

“Can’t we just have coffee upstairs, please…?”

The raven hesitated and then nodded. The detective was shaking, he noticed, and his eyes were wide and lost and desperate. The wave of affection that welled up inside of Akira when he saw Goro protect Sojiro was still there, and the raven was more than willing to do what made Goro feel the most comfortable at the moment, even if it meant letting the detective slip without a proper meal, for once. They got their coffees and walked up the stairs; and as they did, Akira noticed Goro lagging behind; his eyes once more cast down and his lip held lightly between his teeth.

“…where’s Morgana?” he asked quietly, before they even reached the attic.

“Went with Ann and Shiho for some sushi. I was hanging out with Makoto and he wanted to do something more interesting and with more fish in it, apparently.”

“Ah… I see.” the detective murmured. They set their cups on the raven’s workbench, and Akira made a move to sit on the couch; only to stop when Goro started to talk, his voice small and unsure, as if still shaking from the sudden outburst earlier.

“Akira… I… I want to apologize to you. I shouldn’t have… I know I overreacted back then. I wasn’t thinking clearly, I…”

“That’s… really not your fault, Goro.” Akira murmured in an equally quiet voice, before sighing. He reached out his hands, and after a moment’s hesitation, Goro took them in his, though he still wouldn’t meet his eye.

“…I was so scared, Akira.” he said quietly, shaking his head. “I still am. I suppose I have a… problem with coping with whatever concerns _him_ when I… don’t really have time to prepare myself for it. You… you know how you act differently in the Metaverse than in the real world? It’s… similar to that. I need a mask to deal with _him_. And when I don’t have time to put it on, I…”

“It’s the same as what happened in the buffet place, right?” Akira murmured quietly, his thumbs rubbing little circles into Goro’s palms. He watched the detective nod.

“I wasn’t just overreacting, though. Akira, I really didn’t think Kaneshiro would be someone _important_. Sure, we didn’t really have a choice and I did want to help the people he hurt, but… it’s just…”

“Can you tell me what will happen, Goro? Kaneshiro went under Sae’s protection, didn’t he?”

“Yes… it’s just… I don’t think Shido knows a lot yet. Not enough to get really angry. He didn’t call me in to report yet, at least.” Goro said after a while, with a sigh. “Once Kaneshiro goes public with his confession, though… He’s going to be _livid_. He hates when things don’t go his way, and if Kaneshiro knows enough to cause troubles for _him_ , it definitely won’t go his way.”

“What can he do, though? He still doesn’t have any idea about our identities, does he?”

“No… but… oh, I don’t know. I really don’t know, and that’s what scares me. I studied this man for so long, trying to get to know him, trying to somehow understand how his mind works, but…”

Goro shivered and stumbled forward; and Akira’s arms opened as he caught him, pulling him into a tight, warm hug, feeling the detective’s hands move to his back, twisting into his shirt. He could feel Goro shake and could feel his shirt grow wet where he hid his head against; and, startled, Akira realized Goro was _crying_.

“I don’t know how to deal with it, Akira.” he whispered, in a soft, breathy voice that he could hardly control anymore. “I feel like everything is happening and changing so fast, I can’t prepare for anything, everything is catching me off guard. I keep being asked to do these stupid interviews, work with the police, report to Sae-san, to the SIU director, report to Shido, remember which lies I told to whom and how should I act with everyone; and that on top of the infiltrations and trainings and that _nightmarish_ blue room I keep dreaming about now, and my personas, and Loki still there, and all the other Phantom Thieves constantly needing something or needing help and I _want to_ help, but I don’t have _time_ or strength and… I was so happy we’ll finally be done with that stupid, ridiculous palace and have some free time and just as we were done Kaneshiro had to go and say all that and now I’m just so worried and afraid and—”

The words flew out of the detective; against Akira’s chest, he seemed to finally let go, and allow himself to be _weak_ – and to show just how stressed, how pressured, how _scared_ of all of this he had to feel.  And once he finally let it all out and Akira made a move to pull away, if only to wipe away Goro’s tears away and comfort him more, the boy in his arms – for in the end, this was what they were, just teenage boys burdened with responsibility too great for either of them – squeezed him harder, twisting his hands even more tightly into his shirt.

“…can’t I… stay like this a bit longer?” Akira heard Goro whisper, and despite everything, felt himself smile; wrapping his arms tighter around Goro’s trembling frame and pulling him over to the couch, where they could sit comfortably, still snuggled against one another. Perhaps for the first time since the start of their relationship, Akira realized just how starved for touch – for affection, even as simple as a hug – Goro had to be. The boy now clutching tight onto him… he has never in his life been allowed to cry. Had anyone ever cared enough to hug him, to comfort him as he cried, to tell him everything was going to be okay?

Well. Akira was not going to deny him.

“It will be alright, Goro.” he whispered, listening to the detective’s breathing, threading his fingers softly through his hair. “I’ve got you. I’m sorry… I didn’t know just under how much pressure you’ve been all this time. I should have known, I should have seen this coming, I should have _helped_ …”

“Don’t be an idiot…”

“But,” Akira interrupted, shaking his head. “I… I know it all now. And you’re not going to be alone in all of this anymore. First of all, we’re done with Kaneshiro’s Palace; and whatever work you need to do for Shido or the police, you can… outsource that to me, you know. Whatever I can do to help you – think up the Phantom Thieves’ movements, write some stupid reports, anything. I’ll help in any way I can. I’ll try to spend more time with others, too, so they have less to whine to _you_ about. You’ll be okay. You’ll have more time and more strength for everything and all of us to support you, so you don’t have to go through it alone.”

“…a report on the Phantom Thieves’ activity written personally by their leader? I can see how Sae-san might be happy with that.” Goro chuckled softly, sniffling, only to shudder again in Akira’s arms. “…but… what if what Kaneshiro said… what if the rest will figure out he meant _me_? What if they’ll hate me, Akira? What if our group breaks over this? I can’t change my plans all over again if this happens, I just _can’t_ … what if…”

“You’re being kind of an ass here, Goro.” Akira smiled, and smiled broader when Goro bolted upright, looking at him with indignant expression on his face. “You give them too little credit. Only… you’re right, they can’t find out by figuring it out themselves. Which is why… you need to tell them, Goro. Like you’ve told me. You need to be honest with them.”

For a long moment, Goro just stared at him, wordlessly; and then, he looked away and slumped back against Akira’s chest, looking weary, but determined.

“…you’re right.” he said, sounding as if he had to force himself to say all of this. “I’ll… I will tell them. I promise. But before I do, I… I have one last request for you, and everyone. I can’t risk telling them before, just in case… just in case no one will want to help me once I do tell everyone. Is that… okay?”

“What’s the request?”

Goro looked up at him. Akira could see he was gathering his words, trying different ways how to explain what he meant. Finally, he nodded to himself, looking at Akira with a determined expression on his face.

“…one of the people I hurt… I want us to help them.”

“Excuse me?”

“They…” Goro hesitated, before sighing and shaking his head. “They lost someone. Someone very dear to them, because of me; and thanks to Shido, they were then blamed and forced to believe this someone has perished because of them. That is… that is not right. I shouldn’t have any right to express my feelings on the matter, nor can I ever make up for what I did to that person… but if we could only help them stop seeing themselves in this twisted way, if we could _heal_ their heart…” he stopped again, before looking up at Akira once more.

“…please, Akira. If I could make amends to one person in the world… I _need_ to do this. So _please_ … promise me you’ll help. And help me convince the rest to help them, too.”

“I will.” Akira nodded. “I doubt anyone else will have any objections, either. But you need to promise me that after that… you’ll come clean to everyone.”

“We have a deal, then.” Goro smiled – and for the first time since this whole ridiculous evening, his smile truly felt genuine. “I would sit right down to it; gather some data and whatnot so it doesn’t take _too_ long, but maybe I might need few days off from that, too, before I can take care of it properly… I mean, we have exams, and more importantly…”

The detective took a deep breath, before looking up into Akira’s eyes.

“…I still owe you a date. What’s more, I really need one sometime soon and we _are_ running on a bit of a schedule here, with Tanabata only a bit over a week away. So… are you free this Sunday?”

Akira blinked at the detective for a bit, before letting out a soft laugh.

“God, I just… you’ve came here after a serious breakdown, stood out in the rain waiting for me, went all out protecting Boss from your co-worker and friend, let out all that hurt and pain, made up your mind about baring your life open to all of our friends, and all of that… so that you could ask me out on a date?”

Goro chuckled somewhat embarrassedly and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away.

“Admittedly, there _were_ other factors.”

“I’ll come.” Akira smiled, pulling Goro tightly against himself once more. “I’m free on Sunday. And I’ll be delighted to go out on a date with you, Goro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for participating in giveaways and fanfic ideas thingies for the occasion of NG+ getting 1500 kudos. It was amazing reading all of your ideas!
> 
> As you've probably already saw, the top prize in fanfic ideas oneshot thing goes to UnstableFable who inspired me with their childhood friends/sweethearts idea so much Innocent Days is already being published and will span 3 stories with 9 chapters total and what am I even doing with my life X'D
> 
> BUT, since I started writing it before the allotted time has ended, I felt it was only fair for me to pick another one of your ideas. From these, wins Kuroneko who gave the idea of a chapter, or oneshot, of NG+ being written not from Akira's, but Goro's perspective. This chapter will happen, though as I'm still hesitating between two scenes I want to write, so I'll give you the details in a few days.
> 
> Thank you all, and thanks everyone for early birthday wishes! That's not happening until tomorrow, but still thank you ^^


	27. Light of my life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go out for their second date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [@rnoonjelly](https://twitter.com/rnoonjelly) painted a beautiful scene from this chapter! See it [here!](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings/status/1088093239662596100?s=20)

People often said that time was a very contrary thing. It would run as fast as wind when you wanted it to stand still and let you savour the moment; and it would progress almost painfully slowly when one was bored and wished for nothing more than for it to pass faster.

However, over the next few days Akira spent catching up on visiting his friends, stocking up on supplies for future infiltrations and manufacturing so many infiltration tools even Morgana was impressed, the time flew by as if it knew the raven wished for nothing more than for the weekend to finally come and deciding to cooperate, for once.

“I’m still not sure about the gloves.” the raven sighed, straightening up his outfit one last time and giving himself an appraising look in the mirror. Behind him, Makoto and Ryuuji looked up from Star Forneus they were playing on the old TV on his table and looked him over as well, before simultaneously shrugging. Morgana, who was curled up on Makoto’s lap, gave him a yawn and stretched, purring a storm when the girl’s hand moved down to scratch behind his ears.

“I think they add in a certain roughish charm.” Makoto hummed thoughtfully. “Plus, they fit your shoes.”

“Yeah man, these trainers look better on you than they do on me, it’s not fair.”

“Ryuuji, if my date goes well thanks to your ridiculous red shoes, I’m going to buy them off you and get you a new pair.”

Akira sighed and looked himself over once more, smiling sheepishly as he pushed back his hair, leaving them in a slightly more artistic mess than usual. He had to say, Ann went out of her way to put together an outfit consisting mostly from what he already had in his wardrobe for him. Goro asked them to go casual this time, and Akira decided this look suited him a lot better. Without his glasses, with his hair pushed back, a V-neck, black, short-sleeved jacket over it and dark jeans, he looked pretty good, if he had to say so himself.

And the gloves. Fingerless, leather, deep-red gloves Ann pushed so hard onto him, together with the red trainers he borrowed from Ryuuji. Akira protested against the gloves in particular, but once he had them on… well, they added something of _Joker_ to his appearance. The touch of the soft leather over his hands and the eye-catching colour of them gave him the boost in confidence he usually connected to his Metaverse-self.

Hopefully Goro will pick up on it. And this time, perhaps it will be the detective left speechless over how good Akira looked.

The raven smirked at himself in the mirror and turned around one last time, before moving back and flopping down on the bed, watching as his friends played. Makoto and Ryuuji stopped by right before noon, both saying they were bored and wanted to hang out. Akira knew they were here to help him pass time faster; and he was grateful for it.

“So, do you know where are you going yet, Akira?” Makoto asked innocently; and the raven frowned at her as Ryuuji yelped, his starship almost getting annihilated by the alien forces on the screen.

“I _would_ if you jerks would tell me. I _know_ you all know what Goro’s planning.”

“It will be a nice surprise, then.” Makoto smiled serenely, going back to her game. Akira sighed, leaning back and watching them play.

 

* * *

 

“Your date’s here, kid!”

The moment he got downstairs, Akira’s conviction that this time, he’ll be the one to wow Goro with his looks went right out the window.

Ann seemed to have personally worked on Goro’s hair again. She wove it in two intricate side-braids this time, one on each side, joined at the back of his head in a simple ponytail. They were wearing matching outfits again – Goro with a white T-shirt, crimson-red jacket over it and black pants. Only, Ann didn’t make him wear gloves to go with it.

No, she made him wear a _choker_.

“… _damn_.” Akira breathed, staring at the black ribbon circling Goro’s throat, with a little, round charm in the middle. Only now did he realize he has been staring, and was only saved the embarrassment by the fact Goro wasn’t shy in staring at him as well, and particularly at his gloves.

“…agreed.” the detective let out a breathy chuckle, finally raising his eyes and looking into Akira’s own; smiling gently as he reached out a small bouquet of roses he was holding. “Hello, Akira.”

“Hello, Goro.” the raven whispered with a smile, accepting the bouquet and breathing in the sweet scent. The sound of Sojiro clearing his throat made both of them blush as they looked to the side at the older man, who rolled his eyes and put up a little vase with water already in it. Akira grinned and put the bouquet into it, taking Goro’s hand in his instead, and loving how the detective’s fingers immediately brushed over the leather of his glove, obviously enjoying the touch.

“Thanks, Boss. Well… we’ll be going now.” Akira said, grinning.

“No coffee before you go?”

“We’re on schedule, unfortunately.” Goro smiled brightly, pulling Akira towards the door. “We’ll definitely stop by at the end of the day, since I need to walk Akira home anyway.”

“You don’t _need_ to…”

“But I’m going to.” Goro hummed, looking happy and mischievous and more relaxed than Akira had seen him in _weeks_. It was honestly a joy to watch – and especially after the last few days, and after all the pressure and fear and panic his boyfriend had to go through. Akira felt light just watching him so happy, and allowed himself to be tugged out of Leblanc, with a wave to Sojiro as they left.

“You look _amazing_.” Goro murmured as they started to walk towards the station. It was the first thing he said to him, apart from the greeting, and Akira felt himself beam.

“You do, too. I was not expecting the choker.”

“…is it too much?”

“No, I _adore_ it. It looks so pretty on you.” Akira murmured, his cheeks flushing deeply. Goro grinned back at him, though his cheeks flushed pink as well; and for a while, Akira allowed them to stay in the pleasant silence, only speaking again once they boarded the train.

“So, can I _finally_ learn where are you taking me?”

“Hm… let me see.” Goro hummed, a mischievous little smile playing on his lips as he turned to face him. Beside them, there was hardly anyone on the train. “It’s in Odaiba, for one… And for your sake, I will allow some scream machines today. Think you can figure out where—”

“You’re taking me to _Joyland_?” Akira beamed, all but jumping slightly in his seat. “I’ve been _dying_ to go there ever since we went to Dome Town! How did you _know_? Did Ann—”

“I actually had this idea ever since we met at the TV station.” Goro chuckled quietly. “You looked so happy at the prospect of Dome Town, it felt like taking you to amusement park was the perfect choice.”

“It was. I have the best boyfriend ever.” the raven grinned, hugging Goro’s arm lightly and smiling when he heard him take in a sharp breath and saw him blush.

“…acting cute today, aren’t you?”

“Acting like a completely smitten teenager being taken on a date by the hottest guy he knows.” Akira hummed. Blush still dark on his cheeks, Goro slowly pulled his arm away from Akira’s grasp and sneaked it around the raven’s waist instead, pulling him close.

“…good. It’s going to be a perfect date, after all.” the detective murmured quietly, with a sheepish smile. “You’ll see. I planned everything. Nothing is allowed to go wrong today.”

“I have you wearing a choker beside me. What could _possibly_ go wrong.”

 

* * *

 

Haunted house could go wrong, apparently.

They arrived at Odaiba, and walked the short way from the station hand in hand, talking quietly and laughing, finding joy in things as simple as the fresh, pleasant wind from the ocean and the silence of the almost-empty streets they passed along the way. Even though it was weekend, it seemed that they picked the right hour to go out – or Goro picked the right hour, at least.

They bought their tickets and stepped inside the huge amusement park, Akira already wide-eyed and barely stopping himself from jumping up and down with excitement as his boyfriend watched him with an amused smile on his face.

They decided to go to the haunted house first, and that was where the trouble started. Namely, both Akira and Goro underestimated how infiltrating the Metaverse influenced their reflexes. The moment one of the actors jumped in front of them, Akira pounced and tore his mask away, while Goro swiped his hand over his face and yelled _Robin Hood!_ so loud most of the haunted house heard them.

Both of them ended up voluntarily leaving the place afterwards, red-faced and apologizing to the terrified staff member constantly, trying to explain themselves with self-defence training that made them react without thinking.

Thankfully, they were not thrown out of Joyland for that, and allowed to continue their date in peace. Akira ended up laughing at their adventure once the initial embarrassment passed; and soon, Goro joined him in the giggles as well.

Next on their list was the love tunnel ride; both of them smiling rather goofy smiles as they boarded a terribly cliched swan-shaped boat, laughing throughout the ride as it drove them through various pink-tinted rooms filled with flowers and hearts.

“Honestly, I was expecting something more out of it.” Goro giggled as they went through it all, flushed and still holding hands. Akira winked at him and leaned in; kissing Goro’s cheek just as the camera by the end of the love tunnel ride flashed and took their picture, which they then received in two copies from the smiling clerk by the exit.

“I think it was mostly to facilitate kissing couples.” the raven said, grinning at the photo and hiding his copy away. Goro only rolled his eyes at him.

Then there came time for roller-coasters, Goro announced, checking his watch. Akira was surprised his boyfriend proposed it all by himself, but he wasn’t going to protest – and though Goro did get slightly green by the time Akira was satisfied, and was clutching onto him for support, he seemed to have fun even so.

At some point.

Somewhere.

Maybe.

They ate at the café inside the amusement park afterwards, Akira earning a smack over his head when he tried to feed Goro bits of omuraisu from his plate. Time passed quickly; and before they knew it, it was already late afternoon and Goro smiled, checking his watch again before leading Akira by the hand towards one of the booths that offered a chance of winning a prize in some sort of – possibly rigged – shooting game.

“Oh, are you going to get me a plushie, Goro?” Akira smiled as he looked over the prizes. The whole date, he waited for something to go wrong. The experience of their first outing gave the raven this anxiety; if the fate worked so hard to ruin their first date, why would it stop on their second one? And yet, hour after hour passed, one fun ride after another went on without as much as a hitch and no one ever looked twice at either of them – much less recognized Goro and tried to chase him around.

This date was, by all accounts, perfect; and Akira was smiling so much it was starting to make his face hurt.

“I’m planning to.” Goro grinned back, squeezing his hand lightly. “Which do you want?”

“The huge cat one.”

Akira _knew_ he was being predictable. The top prize – the huge, cat-shaped, fluffy, soft pillow was simply too perfect not to ask for, and Akira didn’t see why he should stop himself; especially since he leaned in the next moment and nudged Goro’s side lightly, murmuring a _I’ll be happy with anything you get me, though_.

“Oh, no no no. My boyfriend wants a cat, and so a cat he will get.” Goro smirked confidently and skipped to the booth, asking for three tries worth of tickets. Akira followed him, looking at what the detective was doing with a little smile on his face; only to stare when the man behind the counter grinned and patted Goro’s shoulder, handing him the gun with which he was supposed to aim to knock off the matches placed under each prize.

“Just three tries? You’re finally getting confident, huh?”

Akira stared. Goro turned a weird combination of colours; with his face growing slightly pale, and his cheeks simultaneously flushing in embarrassment.

“…huh?” the raven tilted his head as Goro shook his own sharply. Unfortunately for him, the staff member didn’t seem to notice, instead grinning at Akira.

“Oh, didn’t you know? This guy’s been coming here whole last week, with his friends and stuff… paid me a fortune, too, and he didn’t even want all of the prizes he won! Only asked we leave the big cat mascot out. I told him, no one ever got this one without training like he did, but I’ll be damned if he can’t do it now!”

As the clerk kept talking, Goro slowly got more and more red; and Akira’s smile grew wider and wider. By the time the man was done, Akira was outright laughing as he leaned against Goro.

“You’ve been _training_ , have you?” Akira grinned, only to laugh again and dodge the elbow Goro aimed into his side. The clerk looked at the two of them, staring, before covering his mouth with his hand.

“Wait… _that’s_ your date?! I’m so sorry! I swear, I thought the girl you brought here last time was the one, I did try to keep quiet with _her_ around…”

“A girl?” Akira asked, his interest piqued; and the clerk looked at Goro with questioning look, only for the detective to sigh and wave his hand in the air. The man behind the counter grinned, leaning back.

“Yeah, this guy kept bringing friends with him. First there was this blond guy that got super upset when he couldn’t shoot anything… then the pretty girl who looked like she was half-foreign or something… then the weird guy who kept trying to win the cheapest prizes and then this last girl, the one with brown hair. This guy tried _so hard_ to get her the panda plushie she wanted, I thought he was going to pass out from how concentrated he was. And she even hugged him when he gave her the plushie, I thought…”

“So that’s why no one had time for me lately, huh.” Akira grinned lightly as Goro hid his face in his arm. “Did Makoto really hug you? Seriously?”

“It wasn’t _like that!”_ Goro whined, looking daggers at the clerk. “She saw this plushie from some stupid franchise she liked that they’re not selling anymore and we had a bet who’s going to win it first. I mean, Ann was supposed to come with me again that day but she said she had an emergency…”

“That was me. I was the emergency, I remember her rescheduling some plans to meet up with me.”

“…right. Well, instead of her, Makoto-san showed up. Imagine how not impressed we were with it; Ann told her she was going to be there, and conveniently forgot to say I was, too. Well, anyway… she noticed that plushie and agreed to practice with me, and I won it. I was going to throw it back into the competition, just to spite her, but… well, she was looking very upset, so I kind of…”

“So that’s why you stopped snarling at one another on every occasion.” Akira smiled softly, squeezing Goro’s hand in his own. “I’m glad. You’re such a nice person, Goro.”

“I’m really not.” the detective grumbled, though he cheered up when Akira smiled at him again and leaned in, kissing his cheek.

“…you are. You made me happy.” he whispered.

“…really?”

“Of course.” Akira smiled, before grabbing their toy guns and handing Goro his own.

“There you go. I’ll be counting on you to win that plushie for me, then.”

“…you’re not mad? That I… well, practiced, just to show off…?”

“I’m supposed to be mad that you went to the trouble of going here for a week and presumably paying a fortune just to practice so that you could make me happy? You have _got_ to be kidding me.” Akira laughed, and he saw Goro smile brightly back at him, as well.

They left the booth with Goro cuddling a soft, adorable Totoro plushie Akira won for him. The huge black-cat pillow Goro managed to get on his first try was to wait for them by the exit, so that they could enjoy the park some more without having to drag the thing with themselves everywhere. They were still holding hands, and Akira smiled as he watched Goro check his watch yet again, before dragging him decisively towards the huge Ferris wheel – the last ride of the day for them.

They got into their capsule and sat down side by side; smiling as their fingers intertwined and squeezed gently.

“…did you have fun today, Akira?” Goro asked after a moment, as they steadily rose over the city. The sun was almost setting now; it looked like they will be able to see the sunset from the very top of the Ferris wheel. Akira wondered, briefly, if Goro had planned this too, checking the times of sunset for that day and the speed of the wheel, so that he could pick the perfect moment. He wouldn’t have put it past him.

“Of course I did. A whole day with you… and it really was perfect. Thank you. I had a lot of fun.” the raven murmured with a smile. “We needed it, too, after everything…”

Goro nodded and leaned more against him. For a few moments, they were silent; and yet, Akira couldn’t stop himself from asking, from showing his concern.

“How are you holding up, Goro?” Akira murmured after a while. He could hear Goro sigh, but knew he was smiling, the detective’s thumb rubbing gentle circles into his palm.

“I’m fine. Mostly thanks to you.” he replied simply. “It’s become less hectic lately, thankfully. I’ve been asked to assist in some of the questionings in Kaneshiro case, and yesterday Sae-san told me the gist of his confession. He’ll be coming out in public with his crimes on the evening of Tanabata, they already set up a press conference. Until then… I doubt I’ll need to deal with anything related to the case. Especially since, well… Sae-san is less than happy to rely on me as of late.”

Goro smiled sadly; and Akira felt warmth spread over his chest when he felt the detective rest his head against his shoulder. It felt warm and intimate; and Akira felt this small gesture make his heart squeeze with warmth and affection.

“I’m sorry this ended up happening to you.” Akira murmured softly, smiling to the side at his boyfriend. “I know the investigation was important and all…”

“Well, I’m not _off_ it for now… and honestly, it’s a relief. After I came back home after visiting you at Leblanc, it felt so good to know I won’t be called in. The next day, I could just… turn off my phone and go to school and come back home, like a normal high-schooler, for once. I had lunch and curled up in my room watching… stuff. It was the first day in _months_ I was able to just relax, you know? And besides, I would feel absolutely awful if I couldn’t do anything to stop my own co-worker from attacking Boss after everything you two did for me recently. And after everything _I_ did.” Goro shrugged, before straightening up and looking at Akira with a sort of unguarded, genuine smile that felt so new and yet was so beautiful on his face.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. We’re supposed to be on a date, aren’t we?”

“I like talking with you, though. Date or no date.”

Akira smiled as he watched Goro laugh at him; only half-paying attention to the beautiful view that steadily stretched below them. In the soft, warm light of the sunset pouring over the city, Goro looked more beautiful than ever; his features illuminated, his hair and that damn choker constantly pulling Akira’s eyes to them. Laughing and relaxed and with soft affection shining in his eyes, he was so ethereally beautiful it took Akira’s breath away.

And perhaps that was the reason why the raven felt his hand rise up; cupping his boyfriend’s cheek softly as he leaned in, pressing their lips together for the very first time. It was soft, sweet and chaste; and yet, with how hard his heart was beating and with how fireworks seemed to burst in his mind, it felt _perfect_. A perfect moment, a perfect feeling; perfect lips of the boy he loved pressed against his own.

Slowly, Akira pulled away. There was a dark blush on his cheeks; one that matched Goro’s own as the detective slowly opened his eyes; shy smile blooming on these beautiful, soft lips. Akira let out a little breath, his thumb caressing Goro’s cheek as he remained close; unable to move away completely, even if he wanted to.

“…I couldn’t help myself. You looked so beautiful, it felt too perfect not to kiss you.” Akira whispered, and was surprised to hear Goro let out a little, breathless laugh.

“I planned for us to kiss for the first time here, on this Ferris wheel.” he confessed, voice still bubbly with laughter. “I wanted to kiss you exactly at the moment when we’ll be on the uppermost point, with sunset in the background. A point, I might add, we’ll reach in about two more minutes. As usual, you just act against all my plans, Akira.”

The detective giggled again; and this time, Akira joined him, pressing their foreheads together. He could feel Goro’s hand slip from his hold and felt the detective’s arms come up to wrap lightly around his neck; and all of a sudden, Akira’s heart went into overdrive once more.

“…two more minutes?”

“Mhm…”

“You know... Nothing’s stopping you from going ahead with your plans.”

Goro opened his eyes and looked into Akira’s; and they were shining bright, mischievous twinkles dancing in them, soft, affectionate, _alive_. The raven remembered briefly the puppet he had encountered in Shido’s Palace once before, and its dark, dead eyes; and felt that in a world, in a timeline where Goro can look at him like this, that puppet surely has no right to exist anymore.

“Oh, I’m going to.” the detective whispered, their noses brushing together lightly. “We only agreed our first kiss will be on – or after – our second date. No one said anything about how often we can kiss afterwards.”

“I hope it’s going to be often.” Akira breathed, and Goro laughed with him again.

“It’s going to be. I promise.”


	28. Living in the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoying a little break before Kaneshiro's change of heart takes full effect, Akira plans on getting Goro their promised "matching gifts".

Goro’s lips were soft, the taste of coffee still fresh on them as they pressed against Akira’s.

It was raining outside again; the soft drumming of rain against the glass of Leblanc’s door creating a pleasant, white noise for them as they kissed in the dark café; the only two customers left, unable to bring themselves to part.

For the whole rest of the ride on the Ferris wheel, and on the way home, they were mostly silent; only their blushing faces and joined hands giving away what made them so distracted they couldn’t even find words; what made them almost miss their stop and then walk around the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya for a good while before they finally made their way to the café. Sojiro didn’t even ask; he just laughed at them and pointed towards one of the booths, where a rare candle has been lit, next to the vase with Akira’s roses set in the middle of the table; and two plates of Sojiro’s best curry and two cups of delicious, strong coffee soon made their way before them.

They ate, chatting quietly; only breaking the pleasant moment when Sojiro asked Akira to bring his ridiculously huge plushie upstairs, as it took up most of the booth by itself. Their curry has been polished off the plates, their coffee drunk; and yet, it felt… wrong, for Goro to leave just yet.

So he stayed; first simply talking, then proposing they play a game of chess, which soon turned into a full-fledged tournament. The last customer had left, then Sojiro cleaned up and waved his goodbye to them, pointedly asking Akira to lock up after Goro leaves – and then, they were left alone.

The rain started to fall, and Akira stood up to turn the sign to “Closed” and turn off the lights when he felt Goro behind himself; and then felt his lips on his own and melted, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s neck.

Akira wished he could live in this moment forever. In the soft kisses tasting of coffee; breathing in Goro’s scent, feeling their noses bump as they kissed clumsily and smiled and laughed at each other. Safe, happy… in love.

“I should go.” Goro whispered after a moment; and it took absolutely all of Akira’s self-control not to grab the front of his shirt and pull him into another kiss, now that he could – now that he was allowed to. Goro seemed to have the same idea; he pressed their foreheads together and smiled, kissing the tip of Akira’s nose.

“If I won’t… not sure I’ll be able to leave at all.”

“I don’t see a problem?”

“Idiot.” Goro laughed, his eyes shining as he looked at him. “I don’t want Boss to get angry at us. I really need to go.”

“Well, if you _have to…_ Let me at least lend you an umbrella.” Akira sighed, reaching to the side where the umbrellas usually stood; and Goro smiled and kissed him again, and his departure seemed to have been delayed by another few minutes.

“Hey… um, about Tanabata…” he whispered, once they broke away from one another; breathless and flushed and laughing.

“R-Right. About Tanabata.” Akira repeated, trying to gather his thoughts once more.

“I’ve been thinking… since it’s the day of Kaneshiro’s press conference. Maybe… we might… it might not be a good idea to meet up for a date that day. I mean, yukatas and all…”

“Ah…” Akira nodded slowly, even though he was pouting. After all, Goro was right. Still, even as the detective pulled away and straightened up his clothes and hair, he looked thoughtful. And then…

“We could go to the firework festival, all together. On 18th. It’s after exams, too… and, um… as for Tanabata, we’ll be watching here at Leblanc, right? Kaneshiro’s confession? We could… meet up before that. We can make our wish slips…”

Goro’s voice trailed off; and Akira smiled and took his hands in his, squeezing them lightly.

“I’d love that. I’ll come pick you up after school? And we can eat at that crepe place you texted me about..?”

“Deal.”

 

* * *

 

 **WhipLady:** heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey Akiraaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 **WhipLady:** omg are you guys still at it

 **WhipLady:** just how good at kissing you two are why is it taking so long for you to reply

 **SexyCat:** shut up

 **WhipLady:** oh there he is

 **WhipLady:** ok sweetie spill it first of all on a scale one to ten how good a job I did

 **SexyCat:** 10…

 **SexyCat:** …billion…

 **WhipLady:** thought so ^^

 **SexyCat:** plus additional gazillion points for the choker I almost fainted

 **WhipLady:** lol

 **WhipLady:** sooooooooooooo?

 **WhipLady:** did you do it?????

 **SexyCat:** (✿ ♥‿♥)

 **WhipLady:** OMG

 

Akira smiled lightly and rolled onto his back, twirling his phone in his hands. He came upstairs to his plushie laying on the bed, where he had left it, and his phone buzzing almost continuously with the onslaught of new messages. There were so many, he skimmed over the last few from every person trying to contact him, before finally deciding on replying to Ann. Now, she continued to pelt him with question about his date, and Akira decided to let her finish yelling before continuing the talk. In the meantime, though…

 

 **Leader:** hello, thank you for helping Goro with his training, thanks to you I’m the proud owner of mr floof

 **KamenRider:** Mr. Floof

 **KamenRider:** oh dear

 **KamenRider:** …can you please change that nickname back I do not enjoy being called this silly name

 **Leader:** I like it though

 **Leader:** it’s your fault you can’t think up anything for me by yourself

 **Moron:** HEY

 **KamenRider:** you’re right, actually I don’t mind it this much

 **Moron:** I hope you’re happy with yourself

 **KamenRider:** fairly pleased, yes.

 **KamenRider:** do we have any plans for the next few days?

 **KamenRider:** I would like time to focus on preparation for exams now that we are done with Kaneshiro’s Palace

 **Moron:** I actually planned on everyone taking it easy for now

 **Moron:** We were going to have a cook-off at Goro’s place, but I’d like to postpone it

 **KamenRider:** oh?

 **Moron:** he’s been very stressed lately

 **Moron:** so… I want to give him some free time from everyone for now

 **Moron:** BUT, I would like us to meet up at Leblanc on 7th

 **Moron:** and watch Kaneshiro’s confession together

 **KamenRider:** I see

 **KamenRider:** that’s very sweet of you, I think

 **KamenRider:** understood, then

 **KamenRider:** please contact me if anything changes. If not, I will see you on the 7th

 

Akira smiled and nodded, before sighing as he did a quick check of his messages. Ann’s notifications seemed to be slowing down a bit now.

 

 **WhipLady:** AKIRA! TALK TO ME! I NEED DETAILS DAMMIT!

 **SexyCat:** alright alright

 **SexyCat:** I’ll tell you everything but I need a favour

 **WhipLady:** sweetie you owe me for the choker already are u sure you want to make your debt bigger

 **SexyCat:** yes

 **SexyCat:** I’ll need backup in Mementos

 **SexyCat:** sometime next few days when you and Ryuuji are both free

 **WhipLady:** I mean sure? I thought we don’t have any more requests tho?

 **SexyCat:** we don’t, I need money

 **WhipLady:** lol ok

 **WhipLady:** I wouldn’t mind some cash either I want to take Shiho out to that nice parfait place near Takenoko

 **SexyCat:** aw hows that going anyway

 **WhipLady:** ;)

 **WhipLady:** we’re thinking of going somewhere together during summer holidays

 **WhipLady:** like outside Tokyo for a few days maybe

 **SexyCat:** awwww

 **SexyCat:** if you find a nice place lemme know maybe I’ll take Goro

 **WhipLady:** sweetie we can go together it’ll be easier to book two double rooms if we pose as two straight couples

 **WhipLady:** ANYWAY

 **WhipLady:** when’re we going?

 **WhipLady:** to mementos I mean

 **SexyCat:** will let you know

 **SexyCat:** also… don’t tell Goro, ok?

 **WhipLady:** your secret’s safe with me, leader ;)

 

* * *

 

Days passed quickly – and again, Akira was mostly busy with visiting his friends all over the city, and welcomed the little break in between their Phantom Thieves work. He found himself moving out of the usual Yongen-Jaya – Shibuya – Aoyama-Itchome more, now that he could spend time with Chihaya and Ohya as well. Not that he had to look far for confidants ready to spend time with him.

Some even stopped by his bedroom.

“Harder! Yes, just like that…!”

Kawakami nodded to herself, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Akira knead Mr. Floof, who has been laid carefully on the bed. She was dressed normally – thanks god, Akira didn’t think he could survive another bout of visits from his teacher dressed in a maid dress – and has been quizzing him on different massage techniques for a full hour now. Akira sighed and sat down on the bed, rubbing his fingers to get some feeling back into them.

“I can’t feel my hands… how do people _work_ like this, I have no idea.” he sighed, before pulling out the five thousand yen bill and smiling as he handed it to her. Kawakami flushed, looking uncomfortable, but took the bill.

“Thanks for the lesson, sensei.” Akira smiled gently, watching as she shrugged.

“There’s not much I can teach you anymore. You’ve been getting much better at this as of late.”

“Well, I have good motivation.” Akira grinned, stretching. He has asked Kawakami to give him massage lessons ever since the second time she came to visit him – and as she didn’t need to act cute and weird around him and still got her money, it benefitted them both. Akira couldn’t wait when he’ll be able to use this knowledge on his boyfriend, and see Goro’s reaction to it.

“Lucky, huh…” Kawakami sighed, sitting down beside him; and Akira smiled a rather empathetic smile, watching as his tired teacher started to talk – slowly, carefully, about what was hurting and bothering her. They will take care of her tormentors soon, Akira knew. For now, all he could offer were kind words and what comfort he could give; and hope she will remain the strong and wilful woman he remembered.

It was funny, now he thought about it – how even Kawakami, who had no connection whatsoever to Goro – has changed subtly in this new game, her way of speaking a little bit different, their connection – though still there – just slightly not the same. For one, she trusted Akira more, and was more open about her troubles. Perhaps it was the case of him not forcing her to wear the idiotic get up… or for opening up himself a little bit, too.

They walked down the stairs together – and that, too, was a new thing. Sojiro didn’t mind his teacher occasionally stopping by to have some coffee and, erm, _help Akira in his studies_ , since he was the transfer student and whatnot. Never before was he able to just walk Kawakami in and out without having to sneak past Sojiro. It felt very refreshing.

As did the sight of his boyfriend sat on his usual seat, lost in what looked like serious discussion with Sojiro. Akira smiled, waving Kawakami off as he watched them. Over the last few days, this was a common occurrence, though Goro asked him not to pry into just what were they discussing and negotiating.

Akira didn’t press. He already knew.

It took them a moment to notice him, and Akira smiled and walked to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms loosely around him and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, revelling in his ability to do so. Sojiro rolled his eyes and Goro blushed, leaning into his hold.

“Done with your classes tonight?”

“Mhm! And apparently I’m not in need of any more tutoring. Are you proud of me?”

Akira grinned as Goro laughed; a soft, relaxed laughter; and looked up at him, bumping his nose against Akira’s jaw. He looked so much better these days – ever since their date, every time Akira has seen him, Goro looked relaxed and much better-rested, and laughed more easily and sincerely than before. He still worried – if the long calls they shared in the evenings were anything to go by – but he had a lot more time, and so could take care of everything at his own pace, without stressing out too much.

The only problem was, he wouldn’t share what exactly was he working on; and he shied away from any talks concerning their future plans, or his promise to – eventually – come clean to the rest of their group. Akira didn’t press, but wondered if he was doing the right thing, not to do that.

“Very.” Goro purred, before sighing as he got up onto his feet and nodded at Sojiro, rummaging for his wallet.

“On the house today, kid.” Boss shook his head, with the kind of stern expression that made Goro first hesitate, and then hide his wallet back in his pocket. He turned to Akira, smiling as he leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“I need to go. And… Morgana, do you want to come home with me tonight? I did promise Yusuke I’ll pick up some sushi for us on my way home, and I did promise you some ages ago, so…”

Before Goro even managed to finish the sentence, Morgana jumped right into his arms, purring happily as the brunet laughed and scratched him behind the ears. Akira pouted playfully, raising an eyebrow at his boyfriend.

“You’re taking Morgana? And whom am I going to cuddle tonight?” he sighed dramatically, before giving the detective a little wink. Goro rolled his eyes at him.

“We’ll come back tomorrow.” he said, and Akira smiled and waved after him. It wasn’t until he left that the raven frowned and pulled out his phone, typing a quick message to Ann.

 

 **SexyCat:** we may have a problem

 **SexyCat:** goro just went and took our ride

 

* * *

 

The Mementos warped and sloshed around them in mixture of black and red. Akira wondered whether it was the case of them not having the luxury of Monabus, seeing as Morgana was still at Goro’s the next day after school, but the place looked much less welcoming and much more hostile towards them, as he, Ann and Ryuuji ran through its corridors, jumping at every Shadow they could find, threatening them for money. Akira already gathered enough for the _matching gift_ he and Goro had next on their list; and Ann was also satisfied with the amount of money she gathered for her date with Shiho. Now they only needed a few more thousands until Ryuuji got enough for the pair of sneakers he wanted for himself, and they would all be done; and Akira actually smiled, jumping onto the next Shadow’s back and tearing its mask away, ready for another fight.

It took them maybe half an hour more until they were all satisfied; though then again, it wasn’t like they needed to stop. Still quite rested and with Akira taking care of their healing, Ann and Ryuuji both agreed some extra cash wouldn’t go amiss even apart from their individual goals for today; and as they were inching their way back towards the entrance, they still fought every Shadow they encountered, grinning at each other after every successful battle.

“Still, man, it would have went so much faster with four of us.” Ryuuji sighed, picking up the coins the last shadow threw towards them and counting through them with a frown. “This is all change, too. Not to sound like I like the damn cat, but at least with Mona there, we could get deeper, get at some actually, y’know… Shadows that are worth spending time on.”

“Awww, I’ll tell Mona you missed him.” Akira grinned, grabbing the few items the shadow threw at them when confused. “Still, sorry for dragging you guys over like this. Goro lured Mona away with some sushi and Makoto and Yusuke said they had plans for today, so I didn’t ask them to come with us…”

“It’s fine, dude.” Ryuuji grinned and slapped Akira’s back. “It’s a pain, but also, dunno… nice going about with just the two of you sometimes.”

“Thanks.” Akira smiled back, turning back to look at Ann, ask her if she thought so, too, when…

“…do you guys hear that?”

She was glued to the wall, and in the next second, both Akira and Ryuuji joined her wordlessly, growing silent and watchful as they focused on the foreign sound. It was… strange; roaring and muffled at the same time, weirdly uneven, and growing _closer_.

“Guns at the ready, but don’t shoot, it might be invulnerable.” Akira whispered, gesturing to Ann and Ryuuji; crouching down and debating whether he could risk sneaking a glance from around the corner at whatever it was that was nearing them. The sound grew even closer; and weirdly familiar; and then it disappeared, and there were sounds of steps, of someone nearing them carefully…

 _On my mark_ , Akira mouthed back to his team, trying to discern how many Shadows where there. It sounded like a few, but he was confident they could take anything this high up, where Shadows were still weak. Akira reached three fingers behind himself; bent one, then the second…

They jumped out all at once; Akira going for the Shadow up front, knocking it to the ground, his dagger at the thing’s throat; he could hear Ann and Ryuuji yell for the other enemies to hold still and reached for the mask of his own captive, ready to tear it off…

…only, what his hand touched was red and pointy, and not at all like the masks of Shadows in Mementos. Now he thought about it – and took an actual look – the shape and colour of the Shadow itself was all wrong, too.

And then, he quickly pulled his dagger away and stared at the crimson eyes blinking back at him, and felt a barrel of a gun that was pressing against his own chest move away, too.

“…Crow?” he blinked, sitting up and helping his boyfriend up with him. He looked around – the others, the people he took for Shadows, soon turned out to be Queen, Fox and Mona. They stared at one another for a little while, lowering their guns and dropping their threatening expressions; and then, as if they were waiting for a signal, all of them simultaneously burst into laughter.

Akira was leaning heavily on Goro’s shoulder, clutching his stomach as his boyfriend wheezed beside him, wiping the tears that gathered at the corners of his eyes from laughter. It took a while before either of them could talk, but in the end, at least Makoto managed to bring herself to calm down.

“I’m guessing… all of us had the same idea?” she giggled, shaking her head at the gathering. “Some extra money for our daily necessities?”

“So _that’s_ why you wanted to take Mona over last night! Cheater.” Akira wheezed out, grinning up at Goro, who simply shrugged, wearing a matching grin.

“I admit, though, I did not expect to meet you here. I almost shot you!”

“And I almost cut your throat, I think we’re even.” Akira shook his head and smirked, poking the tip of Goro’s mask with his finger. “Anyway… yes, we came here to get some cash. Did you guys get what you needed?”

“That, and more.” Goro nodded, smacking his hand away. “How about you? If we’re leaving together…”

“They are.” Akira pointed at the rest of their group – all of them staring at him incredulously. Goro blinked, before leaning back; a little, knowing smile dancing over his lips as he nodded as well.

“Ah… yes. Everyone, we will join you shortly.”

“…man, what the heck? We’re not leaving you guys behind, Mona can carry all of us… And if you want more money, then we can all go fight some more.” Ryuuji started, before Ann sighed and patted his head, starting to drag him towards Morgana.

“Ryuuji, they don’t want to fight Shadows anymore. They’re staying behind to make out.” she said, in a theatrical whisper. “Since I know for a fact Goro has a thing for Akira in his Joker outfit…”

“Do you?” Akira rose an eyebrow, smirking as he watched his boyfriend blush and clear his throat before muttering a quiet reply.

“…why do you think I liked the gloves so much?”

“So,” Ann continued, nudging Morgana until he sighed and turned into the bus and throwing Ryuuji inside, waiting for the rest of the group to board. “Unless you want to watch them at it, I think we’ll all go on ahead. Don’t stay too long, or the Reaper will get you, boys.” Ann winked and disappeared inside the bus as well; and Akira snorted, taking Goro’s hand in his.

“Come on. And you can tell me all about how much you like me in that outfit.” he purred.

 

* * *

 

They _did_ end up making the Reaper appear – or at least heard his chains clinking, broke off their kiss and ran to the exit so fast they would have made Ryuuji proud. They were still holding hands even as they walked out of Mementos and made their way to Iwai’s to sell their loot.

It was silly, Akira knew. It was silly to allow himself to push away the worries they had to deal with daily now; it was silly to melt into the kisses and the touches and the simple happiness of having Goro with him; of being allowed to love him, and to know his feelings weren’t one-sided.

Akira had never had someone who would understand him like this; who would need him and want him to rely on him like this.

With Goro… he felt both the protector and protected; with him, he felt safe. If only the rest of the world would catch up on this, and leave the two of them alone; so that they wouldn’t need to worry and plan and stress. So that they could simply be together…

“You’re looking at me strangely, Akira.” Goro hummed, squeezing his hand lightly once they left the Airsoft shop; pockets much lighter and wallets much thicker. Akira snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, bumping his side lightly against Goro’s.

“It’s just… I don’t know. There’s so much hanging over us, and… and I feel so happy with you. As if the world outside didn’t exist.” he murmured in a soft voice. He could see Goro blush, and even just that – seeing his cheeks dusted pink because of something he said – felt like yet another blessing to hold onto.

“I’m a little scared by this.”

“I think I know how you feel.” Goro smiled sadly, pushing a tuft of hair behind his ear with his free hand. Akira had to fight the urge to kiss that ear. There was so much of Goro he was still yet to kiss… ah, he was getting side-tracked again.

“I feel the same. Maybe this is what they call the honeymoon stage? We just… it really feels like we started dating properly since last date. I feel… a lot more comfortable with being affectionate now, and with you being affectionate towards me.” Goro smiled lightly, looking to the side at him. “Just few weeks ago, I’d probably pass out if you tried to kiss me all of a sudden. Now, I’m doing it myself, and I feel so… _relaxed_ , you know? Like I don’t need to worry whether you’ll like it or not.”

“I mean, as if I’d ever not like your kisses…”

“Exactly.” Goro laughed quietly; though his expression fell slightly once he quieted down. “But… at the same time, we’re the Phantom Thieves… and I’m still working under Shido _and_ under Sae, no matter how little she’s relying on me right now. So many things can go wrong at any moment… even an excursion to Mementos like today could end up with one or both of us dead. And yet…”

“And yet we’re together, and it doesn’t feel like it’s important what happens the next moment.” Akira finished for him; and Goro smiled softly, nodding. It was a strange feeling; the one they shared. It was happiness and love and blissful elation; and at the same time, it was a sad feeling, as if they knew, all the time, always, that they will soon need to lose this happiness, or at least put it on hold. Because their simple, straightforward love had a time limit on it; and they could do nothing about it but wait and hope they’ll be able to fight through this, together.

“…so, we already both know we went out for some money-making trip today.” Goro said after a while, once they emerged onto the Central Street. “Would you like to come with me to pick up our gifts? I didn’t know what to choose, so I hope you’ll like it… and we can pay for one another like this, according to plan, right?”

Akira blinked, looking to the side; and then laughed quietly, shaking his head.

“So… I’m fine with that, but only if afterwards you’ll go with _me_ to pick up the gifts _I_ picked for us.”

“…you picked gifts, too?”

“Well, we never specified who’s supposed to choose?”

Both of them chuckled, and Goro shook his head; pulling Akira with himself towards the underground mall.

They stopped by a hobby shop once there, Goro smiling politely at the clerk welcoming him, asking to pick up his order. As he was paying – at this point, they just pooled the money they got in Mementos together – Akira admired his boyfriend’s pick.

He had gotten them matching phone cases – both with card design on them, both black-red-and-white; Akira’s with a joker card motif on it, Goro’s with the ace of hearts. Both of them had a few card slots on the front cover, and a place to put a picture in; and Goro blushed when he slipped matching photos into the slots once they were out of the shop and could play with their new phone cases freely – the photos they got in the amusement park, with Akira kissing his cheek as they left the love tunnel ride.

They didn’t need to go far to pick up Akira’s gift for them, either – just a few shops away, to the jewellery store. Goro’s eyes widened when Akira – and it was his time to blush – asked the clerk for the items he had asked them to reserve – a pair of simple, silver necklaces, stylish and simplistic. They had them engraved right away – Akira’s had “ _Crow_ ” on it, Goro’s had “ _Joker_ ”.

They had waited with putting them on until they were out in the Station Square again; wanting the moment to happen in a place more special than the underground mall. Akira smiled when Goro pulled his hair to the side, letting him clasp the necklace for him; and had to stop himself from leaning in and kissing his nape once he was done.

“…there.” he murmured, smiling as he touched his own necklace. They looked good on them; stylish and simple, and the meaning they held made them look all the more beautiful. Goro picked up the little silver charm, smiling at the engraving.

“I love it. Thank you.” he murmured.

“Want to take a selfie?”

“Oh, _certainly_.” Goro laughed and scooted closer to him. They had managed to snap a few shots – with Buchiko in the background – when a familiar voice resounded, calling Akira’s name.

“Oh… Yoshida-san.” Akira smiled brightly at the older man, catching Goro’s hand and pulling him over to where Yoshida was standing, preparing for his usual evening speech.

“Kurusu-kun! It’s good to see you, as usual.” the older man smiled warmly at the two of them.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help out lately… do you need help today?” Akira smiled sheepishly, before noticing Goro was looking curiously from him to the older man, a glint of recognition in his eyes as he looked at Yoshida. Well, go figure; with both of them being public figures…

“Not at all, Kurusu-kun, not at all. I can handle today’s speech myself; I would hate to stop you from enjoying yourself with your friend…” Yoshida smiled at Goro, too; and also obviously recognized him. Akira smiled lightly.

“Goro, this is Yoshida Toranosuke; I’ve been helping him out from time to time.”

“Like you do with, I’m starting to suspect, half the population of the city.” Goro chuckled, before bowing politely in greeting.

“And, Yoshida-san, this is my boyfriend, Akechi Goro.”

“I’ve been seeing you quite a lot recently, young man.” Yoshida bowed as well, not missing a beat at the revelation they were a bit closer than friends. Then again, Akira thought, tightening his hold on Goro’s hand a little bit, it wasn’t like they weren’t trying to be obvious.

“Likewise. It’s good to meet a man I’ve been hearing so much about, Yoshida-san.” Goro replied, with a perfectly fake smile on face, to combat Yoshida’s genuine, warm one. Akira decided he really didn’t like that smile on his boyfriend.

“Really? I’m surprised you’ve heard about someone like me.” Yoshida laughed quietly, shaking his head.

“May I ask you a question?” Goro said, still in the fake, TV voice. As Yoshida nodded, he smiled again and continued. “I couldn’t help but wonder… why do you keep trying this hard? I have heard people from the political world speak of you with disdain; even ridicule you. It is hardly possible you will ever be able to come back to the front. And yet… you have been trying, continuously, for so many years…”

“Ah… I see you haven’t been talking with Kurusu-kun too much, have you?” Yoshida chuckled in a rather good-natured way, shaking his head as he looked at Goro. “You see… I – and he, too – don’t believe in what the society at large is trying to force us to believe, that unless you win, you do not matter. That is not the case. As long as I can help just one person by having my message be heard… as long as I can capture the attention of just one listener… I won’t consider the years I have spent campaigning to be in vain. I have made mistakes, yes; I was truly the _No-Good Tora_. But your boyfriend made me realize some time ago… it doesn’t matter who you were in the past. You can’t change it, you see. What you can change is how you live in the now… and that is my answer to you, young man. Here and now… I am going to give my speeches and run for the office, like I would have a year ago, and two, and twenty years ago as well. And I am content with who I am right now.”


	29. Plans for the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Goro celebrate Tanabata and discuss their future; and the Phantom Thieves meet to watch Kaneshiro confess

Akira didn’t think he has ever had a school day pass this fast for him. Before he knew it, he was already going to Shibuya and running up the stairs to Goro’s and Yusuke’s apartment, knocking on the door as he smiled and waited for his boyfriend, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers.

Surprisingly, it was Yusuke who opened the door; beaming as he saw Akira standing there.

“Ah, perfect timing. I was about to message you to come see what our trip to Mementos has resulted in. I am confident this is the perfect representation of desire, Akira! I must know your opinion right away.”

Akira smiled and nodded as he went inside, taking his shoes off. They didn’t need to hurry today; it was still hours before Kaneshiro’s press conference, and he didn’t mind spending a little time with Yusuke as well, only…

“Will do, Yusuke, just… where’s Goro?” the raven chuckled, following the artist into the apartment and feeling his eyes widen at how… different it looked.

Although he has come here to pick Goro up for their date, and walked him home afterwards, ever since Akira visited his boyfriend for the very first time, the raven never went inside the house, and never saw how it has changed since that time, a lifetime ago.

Now, Goro’s apartment… was almost as unrecognizable as its owner.

There were picture frames all over the once-empty shelves and cupboards. Photos of the two of them; of Goro and Yusuke at a museum, of Goro, Shiho and Ann at a café or of Ryuuji and Goro making faces at the ramen stand; photos of all of the Phantom Thieves littered the place, everywhere, and yet not overwhelming or too crowding. There was the painting Yusuke gave Goro for his birthday sat carefully on the top of a chest of drawers by the TV set. There were colourful pillows and plushies Akira recognized as similar to some of the prizes he saw at the amusement park on the couch. There was a mug with a picture of a crow on it left on the low table in front of the TV, and another one, with the motif of little foxes set on the kitchen counter, together with some fruit and biscuits – it looked like Yusuke was just preparing a snack for himself.

The apartment, even from the first look, looked _lived in_. And Akira felt his expression soften as he took it all in, wrapping his arms around himself and touching the charm from his necklace.

It was almost surreal, how happy this made him.

“He should be back soon, I suspect. He picked up some fresh fruit on his way home, and we prepared a small basket for Ito-san, so he went to take it to her.” Yusuke informed him, smiling as he watched Akira take it all in. “You will be celebrating Tanabata together today, correct?”

“Well, celebrating is a bit much.” Akira smiled, finally joining his friend in the kitchen and leaning against the counter, humming as he looked around. Here, too, looked different. There were plates and bowls, pots and pans on the rack, for example; evidence that his boyfriend and Yusuke lived on something more than just ready-made meals now. “We’ll just make our wishing slips and cuddle, probably. On that note, are you free on 18th? We were thinking of going to the firework festival with everyone…”

“Yes, Goro already invited me.” Yusuke nodded with a smile and picked up the snack plate, offering Akira some before leading him to his room – taken over almost completely by various canvases, easels and a futon stacked precariously in the half-open wardrobe. Akira chuckled, though he did a double take at the painting set in front of him.

A burst of light bloomed in the midst of swirling reds and blacks, like the light of day breaking through the grimy, heavy clouds. It was Yusuke’s painting, alright; he even remembered it from that other future, but…

“You know… at first, I only wanted to paint desire.” Yusuke hummed, looking wonderingly as his masterpiece. “I thought, picturing Mementos, this filthy depiction of human psyche must surely be something worth eternalizing with my work. But… no matter how I looked at it at first, it felt… wrong. Goro made me realize I was too narrow-minded in painting it so.” Yusuke nodded to himself, turning to Akira.

“So, how do you like it? Its title is Desire and Hope.”

 

* * *

 

“Akira, are you listening to me?”

The raven blinked, scrunching his nose up as he has been poked with the corner of a colourful paper slip over which Goro has been brooding for a good while now. The brunet has come home to find him and Yusuke still talking about his art piece over coffee Akira made for them, and was sipping from the crow mug. He made Goro his own, in a mug with little cats painted all over it, and somewhere along the way they decided to stay at Goro’s place and write their slips here, and then go to Leblanc all together in the evening.

Akira has been zoning off for a while now; though not before he took a very good look at Goro’s room, very neat and tidy, but with an obviously new Featherman poster on the wall and two plushies on the bed – one very, very old and tattered, but pristinely clean bunny rabbit, and the other the Totoro plushie he has won for his boyfriend just few days ago.  Akira was sitting on the bed beside them now, staring unseeingly at his wishing slip, while Goro has been thinking about what to write on his own over by the desk.

“I _am_.” the raven huffed, before smiling and catching Goro’s hand, pulling him – laughing – from the chair and into a hug. Goro stopped laughing when he felt how tightly Akira hugged him, and returned the embrace; threading his fingers through the raven’s hair.

“…hey. What’s wrong?” he murmured quietly, and Akira closed his eyes, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

What was wrong… he really didn’t know himself.

Ever since Yusuke showed him the artwork, Desire and Hope, the product – in that other past – of hours and hours of them talking and sharing adventures together… Akira felt weird. It was the same artwork; just as beautiful, just as _powerful_ , just as amazing… and Yusuke, too, was his relaxed, happy self from the future. And yet…

And yet, the process of making it was something he and Akira no longer shared. As he thought of it, Akira felt… _sad_. He won’t be able to go to the church with Yusuke this time; they won’t go on that date in the park. They won’t have talks about the nature of love and they won’t break into Madarame’s old house to let Yusuke face his past.

Yusuke was still here, happy and at peace with himself and yet, Akira felt like he has lost him, just a little bit. And at the same time, he felt guilty for feeling like this.

“…I don’t know. I guess I was feeling lonely all of a sudden.” Akira murmured finally, closing his eyes, smiling as he felt Goro chuckle.

“Lonely? You know, someone else might have considered it rude, to hear you feel lonely when spending time with your boyfriend. Besides… didn’t you befriend about half of Tokyo’s population during your time here?”

“Nah. I’m just disappointed my friends have a life apart from me, see?” Akira grinned, pulling back and gasping when Goro leaned in and pecked his lips softly before returning to his place by the desk. Akira felt himself blush and grinned, the weird, lonely feeling immediately disappearing from his heart. How could he be lonely, when he had Goro, who’d kiss him like that just to make him smile?

He scooted closer on the bed, watching Goro bump the end of the marker against his lips.

“So… I _did_ totally listen to you, but just to pretend I didn’t…” he murmured, and Goro looked to the side at him, raising his eyebrow. “What were you saying?”

“I was asking whether you know what to wish for. I never participated in Tanabata before. Writing wishes on paper slips, hoping they’ll come true… it always felt very naïve to me.”

Akira smiled, plucking the marker out of Goro’s hands and scribbling on his slip. After a moment, he returned both to the brunet, and watched him grow pink as he read what Akira had written.

_I wish, after all this ends well, me and Goro can be happy together_

“It’s easy, isn’t it? You just pick the most important thing.” Akira said quietly, and Goro looked at him; his eyes wide and soft and filled with such sweet vulnerability; it took the raven’s breath away. Slowly, Goro reached his hand up; tucking a stray tuft of hair behind his ear as he thought, looking at Akira’s wishing slip.

“I suppose…” he murmured, smiling lightly to himself, brushing his fingertips over the words Akira had written. “ _After all this ends well_ … I still can’t get used to thinking this way. After Shido has been struck down… after we’re free to do what we want. Do you think… we really have a time like this waiting for us?”

“I don’t see why wouldn’t we.” Akira smiled, reaching his hands out; and Goro met them, took them in his own halfway there and moved back to sit on the bed as well, snuggling into Akira’s welcoming arms.

“We could…” Akira started after a moment, once they settled into the pleasant position. “We could go somewhere, together. Like… for a trip, just the two of us. I never went on a trip like that, over some weekend or something.”

“Hm… where would you like to go?”

“I don’t know. Somewhere quiet and pretty. And… you know, next year, I’ll be moving to my hometown, after my probation is up…”

“I’d have finished high school by then… Maybe I could take a gap year out? I could go with you, find some work for a while… then we could both move back to Tokyo and go to university together.”

“Wouldn’t you rather start studying right away?”

“I want to stay with you more…”

Akira smiled, bumping Goro’s forehead with the tip of his nose. They held one another tighter, and the raven shuddered, feeling lips press softly against his neck before his boyfriend started to talk again.

“…I’m a little bit worried you won’t want to be with me for this long.”

The voice was silent, barely there; and yet Akira felt the weight of it, heavy like Goro’s tears once were, if much less spectacular. Slowly, he pulled away from their hug, cupping Goro’s cheeks with his hands.

What do you say, to something like this? What do you say, when someone you love so much tells you something like this, with eyes open and vulnerable and filled with uncertainty?

“…I can’t promise you I won’t ever leave.” he whispered finally, his own eyes soft, loving. “Because… it’s a pretty irresponsible thing, to talk about forever. But… you know… when I think of the future, I can’t imagine one without you. Whether we’re living together or apart… here or somewhere else… going to university or working… I can’t even imagine doing it all alone. Not now that I know how it feels to have you by my side, Goro. So—!”

The last part has been cut off; because Goro smiled a somewhat watery smile but so, so beautiful; and caught Akira’s hands in his own and moved forward, pressing their lips together. Akira laughed and tried to pull away, to say something; but he wasn’t able to, because the kiss continued – and Akira felt himself melt into it, tilting his face a bit as his eyes fluttered closed.

It was a different kiss than the Ferris wheel one; or the one they shared in Leblanc, or the one in Mementos. It felt both careful and very natural; they didn’t need to think, they didn’t need to bother trying out different things, because they already knew what felt good. Akira felt Goro’s hands leave his own, and felt the detective cup his cheek with one and dip the other in his hair, and his own arms snuck around Goro’s waist, pulling him closer.

Akira fell back, laying down on the bed, not breaking the kiss; and he could feel Goro’s chuckle as he followed him, could _taste it_ on his lips, and smiled back, kisses playful and nippy now, his hands running slowly down Goro’s sides, feeling the sweetest shudder run down his boyfriend’s body…

“Akira, Goro, we should be leaving soon if we don’t want to be late for the press conference.” Yusuke’s voice came from behind the door and Goro stilled and then pulled back, looking back at the door with a dissatisfied frown. Akira smirked, tickling his sides lightly before moving back as well, both of them blushing and smiling and avoiding one another’s eyes as they stood up, gathered their wishing slips and straightened their clothes and hair before walking out. Goro stalled a bit by the desk; and Akira could see him scribbling on his own, empty wishing slip.

“…what are you writing?”

“A secret.” Goro smiled, tucking the slip away, for them to hang on one of the many bamboo trees the stores had put out on the streets. They thought, briefly, of getting their own plant; but seeing as either it would have only two slips on, or have all of the other Phantom Thieves see what they were wishing for, they ended up deciding against it.

Akira smiled, waiting for Goro to take his hand as they were leaving.

“Fine, don’t tell me. I already know.” he whispered, as Yusuke smiled and waited for them to leave, locking the door behind them.

“Oh? Then tell me. What do you think I was wishing for?” Goro murmured, a little smile dancing on his lips.

“A future.”

 

* * *

 

They spread out over Akira’s attic, some of them sitting on the couch, some of them on various assembled chairs, some on Akira’s bed. Akira himself was sitting on the floor, with his back resting against Goro’s legs, smiling as his boyfriend played, absent-mindedly, with his hair.

Kaneshiro’s case has been opened and left on the table; their hopes brought up and then crushed when, with a snort, Goro and Yusuke both pointed out that it was fake money in it. Now, they all waited for the press conference to start in the TV; watching in silence, hardly any of them talking as Kaneshiro appeared and confessed, crying, to all his crimes; as the police officers dragged him away and some officials started to talk and comment about how it was due to the police that Kaneshiro has been apprehended and taken into custody. Ann and Ryuuji flared up at this; and even Yusuke felt rather dissatisfied, but Akira only shrugged it off.

It didn’t matter, if the police were taking credit. Everyone saw their calling card, he said. People will know what really happened.

“What matters now…” Akira murmured, smiling as he felt Goro’s nails scratch lightly over his scalp. “Is what we decide to do from now on.”

“Well, we gotta find another target, obviously!” Ryuuji called out, grinning and leaning forward on his chair. Makoto shook her head reproachingly.

“We have exams to pass and study for. I would like to suspend all Phantom Thieves activities until we can have _that_ out of the way.”

“Agreed. I will require a little time to focus on my art, too, now my artblock has passed.”

“You guys are no fun.” Ryuuji groaned, sloping down on his chair; before perking up again when Ann spoke out.

“Well, we have the firework festival on 18th, right?”

“Oh, right, that thing!” Ryuuji grinned and bounced on his chair. “Are you girls gonna go in yukatas?”

“We should all dress up.” Goro smiled, scratching lightly behind Akira’s ear. “I’m definitely having Akira wear a yukata, and I know Yusuke has one, too…”

“Dude, I don’t have one.” Ryuuji squinted, while Ann leaned in to grin lightly at him.

“Want me to get you one? My parents designed some mens yukata for a show some time ago, I still have these in the house. I could lend you one.”

“Uh…”

“Come on, Ryuuji.” Goro grinned. “I’ll help you study again if you promise you’ll come, too.”

“Man, I will, it’ll just be weird if I’m the only one not dressed up.” Ryuuji shrugged, before sighing and leaning back on his chair. “Still… exams and shit aside, what do we do with the guy Kaneshiro was talking about?”

The fingers that were threading idly through Akira’s hair up until now stilled; and the raven leaned a bit more back, his weight a comforting warmth against Goro’s legs. The detective sighed and straightened up, looking at the rest of them.

“I’m working on it. I’ll let you know what I found when I have all the data I need.” he said, in a voice that – Akira thought – perhaps only he perceived as strained. The rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded, smiles on their faces. Ryuuji grinned at the brunet.

“Dude, thanks. Just, don’t overwork yourself, right? You’ve got a lot of shit going on anyway, and…”

“I’ll be fine, thank you.” Goro smiled lightly, his fingers resuming their threading through Akira’s hair. “Before that, however… I actually have one more thing I would like to discuss, concerning our possible future target.”

“Goro-kun, is this really the time?” Makoto sighed, shaking her head reproachfully. “We can discuss it another—”

“Hey, then how about this!” Ann exclaimed, cutting her off. “We’ll meet up again at Goro-kun’s place, to cook the bentos and _study_.” she smiled at Makoto. “And then we’ll eat after work well done and discuss our next target. How does that sound, hm? We could do it on Sunday, so we have more time… Goro-kun, you don’t have work then, do you?”

“I should have Sunday free.” Goro nodded, smiling at her as Ryuuji whooped and Makoto smiled fondly at them. “I’ll let you all know when to—”

He didn’t finish. In the TV, the police officers were still talking about Kaneshiro’s case; and the phone in the new, beautiful case with the motif of ace of hearts on it lit up and buzzed on the bed. Akira looked up, watching as Goro picked it up, his jaw tightening.

“…I need to go.” he said.


	30. Love and Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro comes back from his exhausting "work" call. 
> 
> The Phantom Thieves meet for a study meeting and discuss their next target.

**Goro:** I’m home…

 **Akira:** god they kept you long

 **Akira:** I was starting to get worried

 **Akira:** I saw you go pale there it was him wasn’t it

 **Goro:** yes…

 **Akira:** do you need me to come over?

 **Goro:** don’t be an idiot

 **Goro:** it’s late and besides I’m fine

 **Goro:** I’m just… tired

 **Akira:** wanna talk about it or rather not?

 **Goro:** I don’t know

 **Goro:** he was… extremely angry

 **Goro:** he was angry even before but now…

 **Goro:** it’s still better than it could have been Kaneshiro didn’t know about me first hand after all

 **Goro:** he just had ties to someone who did know I wonder how on earth did his shadow find out how I look

 **Goro:** anyway I’m fine now

 **Goro:** will be busy from now on though

 **Akira:** ofc

 **Akira:** he’s not making you do anything tho does he?

 **Goro:** haha the opposite actually I’m officially forbidden from acting in the Metaverse

 **Akira:**??? why

 **Goro:** long story

 **Goro:** basically he has a new plan now

 **Goro:** I’ll tell you later, when we meet

 **Akira:** okay

 **Akira:** get some rest now ♥

 **Goro:** I will

 **Akira:** I’ll see you tomorrow?

 **Goro:** sorry I’ll have a lot of work

 **Goro:** and interviews

 **Goro:** and school…

 **Goro:** actually on that note

 

* * *

 

 **Crow:** hello everyone, I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly

 **Skull:** dude it’s fine are u ok

 **Crow:** yes, it was a work emergency

 **Crow:** things are very busy because of Kaneshiro’s arrest

 **Panther:**? I thought they had him in custody for days now?

 **Crow:** yes, but now it’s out in the public there’s a lot of things to take care of

 **Queen:** Sis’s just left, she said she’ll be staying at work for a few nights, too

 **Queen:** it sounds very busy indeed

 **Crow:** exactly

 **Crow:** and though I am not a full-time worker on the investigation team I still need to help

 **Crow:** not to mention interviews and such

 **Skull:** ugh

 **Crow:** please do not watch them. they will not be pleasant, unfortunately

 **Queen:** you will still denounce the Phantom Thieves? Won’t it damage your popularity?

 **Crow:** it will, but it will also enhance my credibility as an investigator

 **Queen:** ah, I see

 **Panther:** don’t overwork yourself, crow!

 **Fox:** Are we still going to meet up on Sunday?

 **Crow:** that’s what I’m texting for

 **Crow:** I managed to secure Sunday free

 **Crow:** I won’t be able to be of service to you much before or after it, though

 **Crow:** I’m sorry

 **Fox:** your well-being comes first. Don’t worry about it

 **Joker:** what Fox said

 **Skull:** yeah man!

 **Panther:** we’ll wait for you Crow, and if you need help with anything you can always ask right?

 **Queen:** I’d be happy to help, if only I can

 **Crow:** thank you, everyone

 **Crow:** I appreciate it

 **Crow:** see you on Sunday

 

* * *

 

 **DaVinci:** Akira, may I have a word?

 **Theo:** hm?

 **DaVinci:** I’m worried about Goro

 **Theo:** aren’t we all

 **Theo:** did he look this bad when he came home today?

 **DaVinci:** worse

 **DaVinci:** I am at a loss on what to do. He requested I leave him alone

 **Theo:** yeah…

 **Theo:** just let him rest for now, Yusuke

 **Theo:** I’m sorry to ask this, but… please take care he eats and stuff, ok? when I’m not there

 **DaVinci:** of course

 **Theo:** we’ll try to cheer him up on Sunday

 **DaVinci:** I suppose. Thank you, Akira

 **Theo:** I wish I was able to do something to be thanked for…

 

* * *

 

It felt like some strange, real-life repeat of what they were feeling after stealing Kaneshiro’s treasure. Hardly the valiant heroes of justice, they spent most of the few days there remained until Sunday feeling subdued and worried about nothing in particular. Yes, they were being investigated now; yes, they were in danger. And yet, there was nothing substantial yet to be afraid of that would warrant Ann’s absent-minded expression and Ryuuji’s quiet, pent-up energy whenever they went to hang out together.

Akira, on his end, tried to push these feelings of worry away – as he has been doing so often lately. Yusuke has texted him a few more times, with reassurances of Goro’s tired, but otherwise perfectly normal disposition; and his boyfriend texted and even called, assuring him time and time again he was doing alright.

And yet, Akira couldn’t help but worry. Even as he tried to make use of the time he was given; even as he finally went with Takemi to give her finished medicine over to the research group or went to Shinjuku with Makoto, or met Eiko with her for the first time. And when the day finally arrived, somehow, it did nothing to stop him from the bad feeling that was eating away at him…

He had woken up early, and they went shopping with Morgana for the fresh vegetables he promised he’ll bring, together with a big thermos of Leblanc’s coffee Boss allowed him to take for everyone to share. For the second time, Yusuke was the one who opened the door for him; looking somewhat sleepy, if smiling.

“Come in, come in.” he invited them, taking one of Akira’s grocery bags and setting it in the kitchen. The sight of the single, fox-themed coffee mug with steaming coffee still in it made Akira frown, looking around for the rest of the cups.

“…where’s Goro? Still asleep?”

“I’m afraid not.” Yusuke said sadly, shaking his head. “He was out before I woke up; last-minute work emergency. He texted me just a moment ago saying he’s on his way home, though, and requested you have coffee ready for him once he’s back.”

“On it.” Akira smiled as Morgana jumped out of his bag and walked around the counter, loudly complaining about the amount of vegetables they purchased in comparison to the amount of fish. For a little while, the two of them busied themselves; setting rice cooker on and cutting and washing the vegetables they already had, while Akira made coffee; and just in time, too, for the door to open and a harassed-looking Goro to stumble inside, looking like he ran here from the station.

“Morning.” he smiled softly at Akira. It was the first time the raven saw him since the evening on the attic, and honestly, he couldn’t decide whether to be happy or even more worried. Goro looked better than he expected him to look, somehow, but there was a plastic edge to his smile; and TV fakeness to his bright voice that made the little hair on Akira’s nape stand.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to get his boyfriend to tell him exactly and in detail what has happened; and what he was hiding behind these jagged edges and perfectly polite smile. Instead, Akira leaned in, pecking Goro’s lips, hoping to kiss a genuine smile onto them, and handed him a mug of freshly-brewed coffee.

“Welcome home, honey.” he winked with a little smile of his own.

 

* * *

 

Ryuuji, Ann and Makoto arrived just few minutes later, smiling and with their own bags loaded with books and groceries – the former they left in the living room, the latter – in the kitchen. Soon, all of them were busy preparing various parts of their assorted bentos. Akira took charge of cutting up vegetables into cute shapes, Goro and Makoto cooked the sausages, eggrolls and anything else that needed cooking; Ryuuji and Ann were in charge of washing and preparing their bento boxes, and ladling rice into them as Yusuke looked over everything they did, arranging everyone’s bento in a way that was almost too beautiful to think of eating it.

By the end of it, all of them were in good moods and admiring their handiwork, before wrapping it up in rather pretty furoshiki Makoto brought for all of them, explaining that she and Sae bought too many at a sale and the group could really keep them. Ann hugged her for this, and Akira smirked, watching as the girl blushed deeply.

Their bentos ready, they sat down to studying on Yusuke’s and Goro’s couch and on the pillows the two provided for those who didn’t fit. It was more fun than what Akira remembered from their study session at Leblanc. Here, they all could relax. Soon, Goro was leaning to the side, him and Makoto quizzing each other from their respective textbooks and marking points for each question answered correctly, so that after some fifteen minutes of it, it became quite a competition. Akira was explaining their recent Japanese and biology classes to Ann and Ryuuji, making sure he paid an especially close attention to the topics he remembered from his exams; and Yusuke sat on the edge of the couch near Makoto, apparently lost in an art history book Akira wasn’t quite certain was a textbook, but decided against commenting.

They switched after some hour or so. Yusuke started quizzing Makoto from the subject she had the most troubles with, asking her to explain to her the things _he_ didn’t understand from it – which Akira thought was a wonderful studying technique. He sat down to English with Ann, with Morgana’s constant commentary, and Goro was explaining maths to Ryuuji, who looked quite unlike himself, sat in a weird position on one of the pillows and biting the end of his pencil so hard he almost bit the eraser off of it.

“Like this… see, this part… no, this one, it indicates you should use this method to solve the problem.” Akira heard Goro say in a patient tone, only half-listening to Ann’s own explanations of English conjugations.

“So here… wait. I remember this bit. It’s the one with the triangles, right? So…” Ryuuji rustled the pages, grumbling something to himself under his breath. “So I take this one and this one, and from this I will get the missing thingy…”

“Here? Yes… yes, that’s right. And once you found your delta, then…”

On the other side of him, Makoto sighed, though she sounded amused rather than exasperated.

“No, Yusuke… see here? This is where this particular influence came from. I know it’s similar to Shakespeare’s sonnets, but the textbook states clearly, that—”

“I do not understand. It’s art – how can textbooks begin to try and explain art, when its meaning is mostly in the eye of the beholder?”

Ann smiled at him over their own textbook and Akira smiled back, before sighing and looking down at his question, conjugating another verb for her.

“I think you got it, leader.” she chuckled, pointing at his notebook. “And… just be careful here, this verb is an exception, so you have one letter too many. There. Now, want to quiz me from social studies in turn? I can _never_ pay attention to Ushimaru, I just can’t, it’s really not my fault…”

“Well, at least he doesn’t like throwing chalk at _you_.” Akira laughed and dragged their social studies textbook from the pile on the low table they were sitting around. “Okay, let’s see…”

 

* * *

 

They studied well past lunchtime – and it was only a gurgling noise coming out of Ryuuji’s stomach that finally got them to stand up, grab their bentos and a cup of Leblanc’s coffee each and sit themselves around the cleared-now table again, chatting and laughing as they ate, discussing plans for the next week; what were they going to wear for the firework festival and what food they’ll get from the stands and so on. By the time they were done, only Makoto and Goro went back to their textbooks, though even they were curled up on the couch and just reading quietly through some of their material, while the rest of the Phantom Thieves still chatted.

“So… hey, Goro?” Ryuuji called, and Akira watched his boyfriend’s crimson eyes look questioningly up from over his English textbook. He looked annoyed, and Akira suspected Ryuuji tore him out of revising vocabulary, because Goro’s lips still moved lightly, as if he was mouthing the words he memorized.

“You were gonna tell us about our new target?”

Goro’s lips stopped; and after a moment, he snapped the textbook shut, putting it carefully back onto the table before nodding. He looked at Akira briefly and, after receiving a small nod, started talking.

“I have found someone I would like us to steal the Treasure from, now that we don’t have much more to worry about from Kaneshiro or… well, anyone else. However… the case itself is very different from our usual assignments.”

“Oh?” Ann smiled, leaning forward curiously. “Who’s the baddie?”

“That’s the thing.” Goro smiled lightly, if still in a bit _plastic_ way. “There _is_ no bad person. The girl I’d like us to _help_ has had her cognition disrupted, but not because she was an evil person. By all accounts, she’s a normal girl…”

“Wait, is that even possible? I thought Palace owners were all scum.” Ryuuji frowned, and Morgana jumped onto Goro’s lap, shaking his head importantly. Akira frowned, seeing Goro jerk slightly at the sudden weight on his lap – he was so jumpy…

“Someone having a Palace doesn’t guarantee they’re evil. People get distorted views of reality for many reasons.” the cat yawned, starting to purr lightly when Goro smiled and started to scratch behind his ears.

“It’s the same with Persona users. Just because someone has their Persona doesn’t mean they’re good – we, as Phantom Thieves, can still make bad decisions or do evil deeds. Having a Persona means no more and no less than that we truly understand ourselves; we have revealed our true self. The same way, having a Palace is only an indication of having a distorted view of the world. Most people have it because they are evil, yes… but, that girl…”

Morgana looked questioningly at Goro, who nodded and continued to explain himself. Akira watched him through it; watched how stiff, but determined he looked, even as he continued to speak.

“That girl’s mother had died; and the adults she has encountered since blamed her death on her. After a while, this was how she started to perceive her mother’s death – as her own fault. She became a shut-in, unable to bear being out among other people…”

“That’s terrible.” Ann whispered, her eyes turning wide. Makoto put down her book; she looked quite distressed as well, but not as much as Yusuke had.

“How awful.” he said, before looking at Morgana. “Would stealing this girl’s Treasure remedy that?”

The cat hummed, scratching himself briefly before nodding.

“In theory… it’s the same with everyone. Taking the Treasure will destroy the distortion. The girl should realize she was blameless, and has been lied to. Her memories of her mother should go back to being the happy ones, too.”

“I am for us helping her, then.” Yusuke said, nodding. Akira smiled at him.

“I’m in, too.” he said, and Ryuuji and Ann agreed as well. Morgana shrugged, looking over them with a little smirk – or as much of one as a cat was able to produce.

“I don’t think it’d be a smear on the honour of the Phantom Thieves if we helped a young girl like that.” he purred. And then, all of them looked, slowly, at Makoto; who sat there, frowning.

“…I am also in favour of us helping this girl.” she said, sounding as if she tried very carefully to pick the right words. “I can’t help but wonder, though… why her? Why did that case strike you as something we should do, Goro-kun?”

Goro smiled lightly; Akira was positive he was the only one who noticed the flash of bitterness in that smile.

“Because the girl’s name is Futaba Sakura.” he said smoothly; as if this was all the reason he had for it. “She’s Boss’s daughter… and Sae-san has been threatening Boss with taking her away, because of how depressed she is, in order to gain information.”

Makoto’s eyes widened.

“Sis did—”

“I have always had great respect for Sae-san.” Goro interrupted quietly. “But that was a low blow, even for the SIU member. And it turned my attention to Futaba-chan… I owe Boss a great deal, if only for taking Akira in and allowing me to meet him. I want to help him, and his daughter, the best I can.”

Akira smiled and reached out his hand, squeezing Goro’s own gently.

“We’ll all help. I doubt any of us can have any doubts about this now.”

 

* * *

 

“Washing up complete.” Akira smiled, leaning against the doorframe to Goro’s room and watching as the brunet looked up from over the documents he has been reading. Akira blinked, watching him take off a pair of simple, reading glasses and setting them down over the papers before looking up at him again, with a soft blush dusting his cheeks.

“Thank you… what?”

“…I didn’t know you needed reading glasses.” Akira mumbled quietly, pushing his own up his nose as he walked into the room and sat on the edge of Goro’s bed, smiling when his boyfriend tidied up his documents and then joined him there, leaning carefully against Akira’s side, as if he was worried he’ll press too hard against him. It was adorable, Akira thought.

“Do you hate them…? I… don’t really like how I look in them, so I wasn’t about to wear them in front of everyone… If I needed glasses in my daily life, I feel like I’d just wear contacts everywhere, but it just feels silly, to do that just for reading in the evenings.”

“I love them. You look… really nice in them.” Akira murmured, blushing as well – if just because of his inability to say the _hot as hell_ he has thought of saying initially. As if he was able to read his mind, Goro chuckled, closing his eyes.

“…sorry for dumping all the washing up on you and Yusuke. I really had to get these done…”

“Hey, it’s fine. You have work, we have a free day. You can relax now, too, right?”

“Mhm… for a while, yes.” Goro sighed. His hand found Akira’s; and for a moment, they just sat there, leaning against one another. After the whirlwind of the Phantom Thieves chatting and studying and gossiping and cleaning up and saying goodbyes, it felt good to just sit together and enjoy the silence for a moment.

Even if Goro has been tense when Akira gently wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, and tensed up all the more when the raven leaned in, resting his weight comfortably against Goro’s side.

“…hey.” Akira murmured after a moment, when Goro didn’t relax against him, like he expected him to. “Did something happen..? Should I—"

 “N-no! You’re alright, I just… I’m sorry… It’s been very stressful lately. I got lost in thought…” Goro mumbled, some of the tension bleeding away from him – but he still looked and felt like a coat hanger, with how stiff his shoulders were. Slowly and with a sudden, little smile, Akira pulled away, looking at his boyfriend.

“…turn around.”

Goro looked at him in surprise that quickly turned to suspicion; but Akira didn’t explain himself. He twirled his finger in the air, grinning, and finally, still frowning suspiciously, Goro did turn around, only to gasp when Akira rested his hands gently over his shoulders and started to knead them, just as Kawakami taught him to.

Five seconds of stunned silence; that was all it took before Goro all but melted under his touch, letting out a soft, pleased purr and slumping back against Akira’s hands. The soft material of the dark-grey shirt he wore felt nice and warm under Akira’s hands as he slowly worked on the muscles there.

“God, that feels so nice…” Goro mumbled, tilting his head to the side and outright _purring_ when Akira pushed his fingers lightly into his muscle there, rubbing it loose. “How do you know how to _do_ that stuff…?”

“I got someone to show me the ropes some time ago.” Akira hummed, with a rather stupid grin, thinking how every single hour he had spent with Kawakami drilling him on different massage techniques was so worth it. “Hey, lean a little bit forward…”

Goro did, without hesitation; but the next moment, as Akira’s fingers started to work their magic down his spine, the brunet stiffened again. He turned around, his hands reaching back…

“No, wait, there’s— hn!” Goro’s face scrunched in pain and he jolted away from Akira’s fingertips; and for a moment, the raven didn’t know what had happened. Was it something… he did? Did he hurt him, even without meaning to..?

Goro was biting his lip, eyes wide with barely-controlled panic; and as he slowly moved away, Akira caught a glimpse of his side, where his shirt got dragged up. The raven’s eyes widened, and his hand shot forward, tugging the material further up; even as Goro yelped and tried to stop him.

“Akira, don’t—!”

“Goro.” Akira whispered, staring at the revealed skin. “What _is_ that..?”

The soft, pale skin he has seen twice before – once at the climbing club, the other at the bathhouse – was no longer unblemished, like he remembered it. There were splotches of dark purple and sickly yellow strewn over it, huge, ugly bruises covering the expanse of skin Akira had uncovered. Suddenly, Akira understood what hurt his boyfriend when he touched him, why did he jolt when Morgana jumped onto his lap, and why was he so tense when they hugged. Akira looked up at him, into these wide, crimson eyes, feeling his heart thump in his chest, so loud it was almost drowning out the sound of Goro’s quickened, desperate breathing.

“ _Show me_.”

“Akira…” Goro whispered. His eyes were wide, glistening with unshed tears. He was hesitating – one hand still over Akira’s own, as if he wanted to push it down, to cover up the skin the raven revealed already; only to sigh, his shoulders dropping as he hung his head. Akira took the cue and slowly, carefully pulled the shirt all the way up, and then over Goro’s head, hissing at what he had seen.

All of Goro’s chest and back was covered in angry purples and yellows. Most of them were over his ribcage and sides, disappearing under the line of his pants. Akira’s fingers trembled as he reached out; dragging his fingertips over the biggest bruise. He could almost see the punch that created it, could almost feel how badly it must have hurt.

_You don’t know that man, you don’t realize how angry he can get when something hits too close to home!_

Akira saw, as if it just happened, the terrified expression in Goro’s eyes when he found him, after they had taken Kaneshiro down; could hear his words, loud and clear, echo through his mind. The hand that was not touching his lover trembled and curled into a fist. All of it made sense now. The way Goro cowered at the buffet; the _terror_ he showed at the thought of having to deal with Shido when he was angry. How _pale_ he went when the bastard called him.

 _I’m going to kill him_.

The thought was bright and clear – like a sharp beam of light cutting through Akira’s jumbled thoughts. And just as a beam of light, it suddenly became all he could focus on. Hatred and anger and cold, deadly fury boiled inside him, as if all of his Personas suddenly started screaming in his head.

 _I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him for this_.

“Akira…”

Goro’s voice was soft, weak; and yet, it rang in Akira’s ears louder than any of the mess of thoughts and emotions that swirled inside his chest. All of a sudden, it wasn’t just Shido his rage has focused on. Instead…

“…I’m _sorry_.” Akira whispered, feeling his vision blur; as hot, uncontrollable tears filled his eyes and fell, dragging down his cheeks.

_This is what you did. What your actions did. This time and the last… This is what you chose to do, and these are the consequences._

“It’s not your fault.” Goro’s voice was quiet. He was biting his lip again, Akira saw, before he has been brought forward, into a hug; hesitant and stiff not because Goro was stressed, as the raven now knew, but because he didn’t want to cause himself even more pain…

“It’s because of what we did.” Akira whispered back, shuddering in his boyfriend’s arms. He hugged him back, hands soft and gentle as his fingertips brushed over Goro’s skin, as if trying to soothe him, comfort him… as if there was anything Akira _could_ do to soothe and comfort his lover.

“I didn’t want you to see. I didn’t want… It was my decision, Akira… you can’t blame yourself, you just _can’t_ …”

“How long was he doing this?” Akira whispered, taking in a shaky breath.

“…for a while.” Goro murmured back. “He’d… at first, just after I started working for him… he pretended to be this good, benevolent figure. It was easy enough to see through, but still… he waited until I was in too deep to object. One day, I made a mistake; and because of it, one of his plans got set back a few days. He reprimanded me, and I thought it was the end of it… and then, the punch came.”

Akira didn’t know what terrified him more; the words Goro was saying, or the level, matter-of-fact tone he was saying them with.

“It was just one at first. He apologized, too. Said he had troubles controlling his temper, things like that… but then, something went wrong again, and he punched me again, harder. And again… and again. I was just a child; what could I do to protest? He’d even say…” Goro’s breath hitched; now, his voice was starting to shake.

“He’d even tell me that… that I’m being useful. That I’m being _special_. That he has a very stressful job, and hitting me helps him perform at it. He’d ask me whether I wasn’t glad I could be useful for such a _noble_ purpose…”

_I’m going to kill him. I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him for this._

“He was always careful, though, that at least. He’d never hurt me where it’d show during the interviews. When we took down Kaneshiro… I _knew_ this… he was _bound_ to get angry. I…”

Finally, Goro’s voice broke; and he cried, quietly, with strained, choked sobs against Akira’s chest. It was _heart-breaking_. To hold him there; the boy who tried to help them; who tried to protect them from himself and anyone that could hurt his friends. Who was so strong for them… and now felt fragile and broken, like a glass doll shaking in Akira’s arms, ready to break into yet more pieces with the sheer amount of strain; of pain, of the weight of it all.

Akira remembered; too late, a lifetime too late; how the Phantom Thieves talked about the traitor; back then, in another future. He remembered Ryuuji, saying he’ll never forgive Goro. If he knew… if they all knew… what would they have said, back then? And what could Akira say now? What could he possibly say that would help this, in any way?

He didn’t know, and so he said nothing; and simply held Goro and cried with him, the misery, the anger, the regret a hot, burning mixture in his chest. Slowly, in painful, raw silence broken only by their soft, quiet sobs, the tears ran out; and slowly, their breathing evened out again, until they were no longer crying; and just sat there, in one another’s arms, with Akira’s fingertips brushing softly along the outlines of angry, painful bruises that littered Goro’s skin.

“…I’m sorry…” he whispered after a while; voice hoarse and choked from crying. “Does it… hurt, when I do that?”

“No… it’s only when you press on them. That’s what hurt me before. Like this…” Goro’s voice was soft, too; and Akira could feel a little, weak smile in it the next second, as he moved a bit, a little bit more comfortable in Akira’s arms. “It… actually feels nice.”

Akira took in a soft, shuddery breath; and kissed Goro’s collarbone, as if he could help this way, as if he could convey, with every kiss, how sorry he was, how much he wanted to take the detective’s pain away, to take it for himself. Slowly, as his fingertips gently trailed down Goro’s sides, so did his kisses. Careful and soft, he kissed every bruise; every angry mark, every painful memory. Akira slipped to his knees from the bed, tears drying on his cheeks as he continued to do so, until Goro was warm and trembling in his arms, not with pain this time, but…

Akira looked up, and their eyes met. Goro’s eyes… they were always so beautiful, even after an evening like that, even after crying. Now, they were wide and open and soft, and swirling with emotion; eyelashes still thick with tears as he brought his hands up slowly, tangling them in Akira’s hair, sweet blush blooming on his cheeks as he parted his lips, and…

“…medicine.” Akira mumbled, feeling as if he just broke out of a trance. Goro blinked down at him, in obvious surprise; and didn’t become any less surprised when Akira moved away, grabbing his bag and starting to rummage angrily through it, mumbling to himself as he did.

“Uh… Akira…?”

“I _know_ I have it in here some— oh, there we go.” Akira nodded to himself, pulling out a tube with ointment he bought off Takemi a day or two back. It had a hand-written label on it that, after Akira read through it carefully, informed them the ointment worked well on inflammations and bruises, and was to be used only externally.

Sitting down next to Goro on the bed again, Akira uncapped the tube and poured a generous amount onto his hand, warming it up before looking up at the detective watching him.

“…I’m sorry. This isn’t the kind of massage I wanted to give you, but…” he murmured, blushing; and started to very carefully smear the ointment over the biggest bruise on Goro’s side. The brunet kept quiet; Akira couldn’t help but think it was the kind of _stunned_ silence.

“Tell me if it hurts, alright?” he murmured after a moment, moving hesitantly to the next bruise.

“…it’s fine, I don’t mind it if hurts a little.” Goro whispered, but Akira shook his head.

 “I don’t want you to get hurt. Ever again.”

There was silence again, for a long moment; and then, Goro caught his wrist, stopping Akira’s hand.

“Akira…” he sighed, and the raven looked up at him. “You know I can’t promise that. That I won’t get hurt. And… you really don’t need to do this. It’ll heal by itself… you shouldn’t waste our medicine on me.”

The way Goro had said that; with soft, sad resignation in his voice… it broke Akira’s heart into yet more pieces. He clenched his jaw tight and tugged his hand free, resuming his work with a determined expression on his face.

“It’s not a waste.” he said quietly. Goro blinked at him.

“…excuse me?”

“It’s not a waste.” Akira repeated, trying to keep his voice from shaking, his tears from falling again. “Nothing I do for you is a waste. Nothing I do to make you feel better is a waste. The only waste here is me, for being so _useless_ , so utterly, _completely useless_ , I can’t even—”

“Akira, don’t—”

“Shut up.” the raven shook his head angrily, bowing it for a little while; hiding his expression from view. Once he looked up, Goro’s eyes were wide again, so many emotions swirling in them he didn’t know which one was which.

“…if I could take that beating for you, I would.” Akira whispered; voice soft, desperate. “If I could get hurt ten times worse in order for you not to be in pain, I would agree without hesitation. I can’t, though. I can’t stop the pain and I can’t take it for you, so at least let me make it better, and don’t you _dare_ call yourself, or anything spent on you, a waste.”

Goro bit his lip; his expression tense. Slowly, the detective nodded; and then took Akira’s face in his hands and pulled him up, kissing him – hard and desperate, as if he tried to say all the words he couldn’t find through that kiss.

“…alright.” Goro whispered once the kiss was broken, and Akira could go back to tending to his bruises. “But you don’t call yourself that, either… at least… now you’ve said that…” Goro smiled lightly, and Akira looked up at him again, curious.

“…at least now I can think it was for good reason.” Goro pointed to his bruises. “Now I can tell myself I feel all this pain… so you don’t need to, because my idiot boyfriend would take it for me, if he could.”

The detective took in a long, careful breath and leaned a bit back; letting Akira work.

“Akira…?” he whispered quietly, after a moment of silence.

“Hm?”

“I don’t think I could have done it without you.” Goro murmured. “I think I would have… snapped by now. Broken to pieces, like all the people I caused a breakdown in. I keep trying to do it all alone… and then you show up, and…”

Goro shook his head again and smiled, threading his fingers through Akira’s hair.

“Thank you.” he whispered. “For being my strength.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a companion piece to this story now: chapter 29,5, written from Goro's perspective! You can find it [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17092637)


	31. Hitch in the Schedule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira encounters an unforeseen difficulty, and the Phantom Thieves celebrate their newest addition to the party.

That night, after taking care of Goro’s bruises and helping him dress again, Akira and Goro snuggled on the brunet’s bed. The raven sat with his back leaning against the wall, with Goro comfortably snuggled against his chest, obviously feeling better now that he has been able to position himself in a way that didn’t hurt him. The detective was quiet; really, after a while, Akira started suspecting he might have fallen asleep. Not that he minded it much, of course.

He definitely felt like yet another facet of Goro has been uncovered for him in what had happened this evening; in what he has seen, in what he has found about. And it made Akira wonder - was this the first time this had happened? Not the beatings, of course; though the thought alone made the raven seethe in renewed rage, Goro has already confirmed these have been happening for a long while before now. No, what Akira was wondering about was - have this been happening before his second try, in the original timeline?

_I don’t think I could have done it without you. I think I would have… snapped by now. Broken to pieces, like all the people I caused a breakdown in._

They had always just assumed - all of them, really - that Goro was what he had become by choice. By bad choices, surely; by choices he couldn’t quite make on his own, being manipulated and tormented not only by Shido, but Yaldabaoth as well. Have any of them ever entertained the thought that Goro might have broken down back then, in the engine room, because he knew; because he had found out his plan had went wrong, and what it would mean for him, if Shido found out? Not in the sense of his great quest for revenge, but rather…

Akira shuddered, and he felt Goro stir in his hold; a soft, gentle hand moving up, stroking over his arm in a comforting manner. Goro has grown so perceptive of him. Akira remembered these first meetings; how the detective looked at him, how neither of them could really understand the other fully, how each movement and each gesture has been misinterpreted and overthought. Right now, both of them were communicating with no need for words; feeling each other’s discomfort, sensing the other’s worry within the slightest shiver.

“What is it?” Goro murmured, leaning his head just a little bit more into Akira’s warmth, nudging at him lightly - somewhat like a kitten. Despite the dark thoughts, the raven couldn’t help but find it adorable. Still, Akira shook his head and pressed a little kiss to Goro’s temple.

“It’s nothing… I was just distracted, that’s all.”

“I wish,” Goro sighed, and Akira could hear an edge in his voice. “I wish you’d stop hiding things from me, and let me actually help you instead of only relying on you instead. You could use listening to your own advice, Akira. Stop trying to do everything by yourself.”

For a long moment, Akira was silent. Goro’s words startled him; not only because he didn’t expect his boyfriend to sound so… well, annoyed with him, but also because he realized he has fallen once more into the old rhythm of hiding his own insecurities and worries. Perhaps now earlier than ever - now that he remembered in such vivid detail, how his friends had always reacted to him voicing any kind of worry or reservation.

And yet… well. Goro was right, of course. He kept trying to get the brunet, and everyone else, to rely on him more… and whom could he rely on…?

“...I’m sorry.” he said, finally. “I’m just… so used to it, I suppose. I never really… thought of talking it out with anyone, or…”

“Well, I wasn’t used to it either. I dare say, even more than you.” Goro huffed, and Akira felt himself smile; the tenderness rising in his heart making him almost tear up. What was happening with him? Well, he was stupidly in love, he knew that, but still…

“...I know.” he murmured, closing his eyes and leaning his head on Goro’s own gently. “Very well. So…”

It was… difficult. To talk about everything, all of a sudden, without really thinking about it beforehand. And yet, in the strange new understanding he sensed there between the two of them, Akira found himself speaking - in hesitant, soft voice - about his own worries. About his insecurity; about the bonds with his friends he felt weren’t as strong as they should have been, about the crippling fear that no matter his best efforts, one of them will end up hurt. About his guilt that, no matter what he did, one of them already has been.

And Goro… comforted him. Akira fully expected, at least subconsciously, to be told once again to stop being stupid, or to be laughed at. But Goro listened, and understood, at least on some level. His way of comfort was different from Akira’s. Goro insisted on stripping the problem, each and every one, down to the smallest bits for him; finding the cause of each of Akira’s fears, and eliminate these with assurances and - when these failed - with solid arguments and soft, gentle kisses that felt so much more convincing. The feeling of being understood, and cared for, and loved; Akira had never felt it as strongly as he did during that evening. It was strong enough that, once the night fell in earnest and they stopped talking and just rested, snuggled close, Akira closed his eyes and decided to take a leap.

“…hey? There’s… there’s something else I need to talk to you about.”

He didn’t know whether it was a good idea - hell, he was almost certain it wasn’t. But at that time, at that moment… he really felt he had to say it. That Goro deserved to know the truth.

_The truth that… no matter how weird it’s going to sound, I… this isn’t the first time this is happening to me. All of it. The… the assault case, the probation, the Metaverse, Velvet Room, Phantom Thieves, everything. I’ve been given a chance to redo what happened to me last time. I know this sounds crazy, but I promise I can—_

Akira prepared the words, opened his lips…

…and could not let out a single sound. His throat clenched; his lips moved quietly and then his mind went blank, and as long as he tried to speak, there were no words that would come to him. Finally – in slight state of shock – Akira stopped and shook his head, only holding Goro closer against himself. The detective blinked at him in question, but then seemed to realise something, though what it was, Akira at that moment was not sure. In any case, instead of pressing on, Goro smiled at him with the softest, most beautiful expression in his eyes and leaned a bit closer, content to continue to cuddle in silence while in his mind, quietly, Akira continued to panic.

He didn’t understand. He had no idea what was happening.

_Why can’t I say it? Why can’t I tell him…?_

 

* * *

 

Akira had offered to stay the night that evening, and though Goro was visibly tempted by it, he had refused. He argued that it would be a shame – for a night brought on by misery such as this, to be the night of their first sleepover. Akira really didn’t mind it as much as he pretended to. Inside, he was still dumbstruck and extremely alarmed by what had happened.

He had tried again, over and over, not pulling Goro’s attention to his struggle; he had tried to tell the brunet of the strange reality he was in. And yet, every time he did try, the same result persisted. His throat would clench, his mind would go blank; and his lips would close, without as much as a sound slipping past them, until Akira stopped trying to speak of what he was obviously not supposed to be talking about.

It alarmed him to no end; and no matter how long he thought about it, Akira couldn’t find a reason other than either Igor and Lavenza or Yaldabaoth intervening somehow to stop him from telling the truth. Just to make sure, he had tried again – with Morgana, upon returning home, to the same effect. Granted, the discovery that he couldn’t talk to anyone about the truth of his previous experiences of what was happening to them wasn’t exactly comforting – but it did calm him down somewhat. At least with this, he knew what he was standing on, more or less. With this, he knew what to do with.

And, well – for the next few days, he could hardly do anything at all. Exams came, and during the time they lasted, Akira and the Phantom Thieves in general were too busy to socialize or think of ways to meet up all together and start to investigate Futaba in earnest, not to mention investigate the delicate workings of the Metaverse itself. Not that there was any rush – they were early, and Akira knew it. In the meantime, before the whole hell of Medjed starts, he had decided to give them all a break – himself included. They desperately needed rest, even if it meant just having some time to study for their exams at the last minute; and Akira himself needed to make sure Goro had time to get better.

Ever since that night, no matter Akira’s struggles, their bond has changed; shifted softly. Whether it was Goro being almost imperceptibly more relaxed and willing to show his weakness and vulnerability to him; whether it was Akira who found himself rely on his boyfriend more, whenever he had another nightmare or simply felt annoyed or scared or lonely… there was a new thread of understanding between them that was not there before, and Akira felt it as if it was a thin, fragile spider’s thread he needed to hold onto and protect at all costs.

Speaking of nightmares, these came back –  very real, very vivid, though lacking Yaldabaoth’s mocking voice that’d taunt him in his struggles. He dreamt of the Phantom Thieves disappearing; or their team breaking up; of them dying; of Goro getting hurt. Even the old engine room dream appeared in his nightly terrors, but the thing that scared him most of all was a whole new nightmare. In this one, he was in the Velvet Room; but it was different, distorted and unfamiliar in the worst of ways. There was Goro there; a hazy shape behind bars of one of the cells, bound in heavy, golden chains and asking him question after question – and no matter how hard Akira tried to reply, to comfort and soothe him, he couldn’t say a word.

Slowly, it seemed the anxiety and responsibility of it all was getting to Akira all over again; and perhaps it was Goro who had said he wouldn’t have been able to do it without him, but in the raven’s mind, it was the other way around. After that first night of him allowing himself to rely on his boyfriend fully, Akira felt like all that kept him from giving up was the unshaken knowledge that every time he wakes up from a nightmare, Goro will be just a call away, ready to comfort him and make it better.

His boyfriend wasn’t able to visit – not with work, exams, studying and everything else he had to take care of every day – but that didn’t mean they lost contact altogether. And once exams ended, they were finally, once again free to meet.

The rain was falling again – the rainy season finally passing, but not giving up without a fight. Akira had spent his first free day after exams helping Sojiro, who – though grumbled a lot less than Akira remembered ever hearing him grumble – still complained Akira didn’t find time to help him more around the shop, even if the rain meant there were not going to be many customers there, at any rate.

The bell resounding from the door made Akira look up with a professional smile that soon turned absolutely delighted when he saw Goro enter; and ran out from behind the counter to take away all the bags his boyfriend was carrying in.

“Welcome home.” Akira whispered as Goro laughed at him softly.

“Always the gentleman, Akira.”

“Arsene would scold me if I wasn’t” Akira laughed back, shaking his head. “How are you feeling?”

“All better. You can stop asking that every time we talk.” the brunet shook his head and slid into his usual seat by the counter, smiling up at Sojiro, who was already busy preparing coffee for him.

“Good evening, Boss. I apologize for intruding on you again.”

“Stop talking like you’re being a bother, kid. I can see at least one person here being on cloud nine over you stopping by.” Sojiro smiled at him lightly before going back to work; a sentiment that made the detective smile to himself in the softest way before he turned his attention back to Akira.

He wasn’t in a hurry, as it soon turned out. There was no rush; no emergency to discuss over, no urgent business. Goro seemed relaxed and happy and all to content to chat with Akira over the counter as the raven cleaned up the café and served the few other customers they had, the TV playing quietly in the background, providing for a pleasant white noise. Sojiro commented here and there as they discussed their exams; the topics they had most troubles with and these they hoped they’ll get a perfect score from. At one point, Morgana skipped downstairs to greet the detective, woken up by their voices, and was currently curled up on Goro’s lap as the brunet pet his fur softly, his bare hands pulling Akira’s attention to them a little more than was strictly necessary. Really, the less Goro wore gloves the more Akira realized what beautiful hands his boyfriend had.

And not just hands. All of Goro was beautiful, really, Akira mused as he wiped one of the glasses Boss handed him to busy himself with. His garnet-like eyes, his smile, the way his hair framed his face. The way he’d smile lightly and hold his chin in his hand in that signature pose, his lips curled up in the softest of smirks…

His lips…

“So…” Goro hummed finally, and Akira realized he must have been staring, if Goro’s amused expression was anything to go by. The raven blushed dark red and almost dropped the glass, setting it on the counter afterwards and moving to make _himself_ some coffee. He decided he needed one now, if only for something to focus on – something other than the thought of how kissable Goro’s lips were; and not just his lips.

Akira swallowed, forcing himself to focus on his coffee. It was difficult; now he started thinking about it, there were so many parts of Goro he hasn’t kissed yet. Most of him, really.

“…Akira? Are you okay?”

“I am.” the raven let out a slightly embarrassed laughter, shaking his head. “I’m just… distracted today. In a good way, I promise.” he added after a moment, seeing Goro frown at him. The brunet looked curious, but to Akira’s immense relief, did not ask what _good_ thing was on his mind this time.

“Well… alright. As I was saying, I went to that rental place I told you about over the phone.”

“Oh, that explains the bags.” Akira smiled. “Did you get everyone a yukata, or do you just like carrying lots and lots of stuff?”

“Shut up.” Goro laughed, shaking his head. “No, I only got one for you and me. We’re supposed to return it by the twentieth.”

“How much do I owe you?”

Goro smiled at him and pressed a finger gently to his lower lip, patting it lightly; which did absolutely nothing for Akira’s current _distracted_ state of mind.

_Focus, damn it._

“No way. A kiss is not enough for a yukata, even if it’s just rented.”

“Did I specify it was supposed to be just one kiss?” Goro grinned, and by then, Akira decided he _had to_ be doing this on purpose.

“You boys going to the festival?” Sojiro chimed in, humming as he wiped the counter beside them. Akira smiled back at him, glad for the rescue. He was pretty sure Sojiro kept polishing the counter just so that he could partake in their conversation some more, and he couldn’t have been more grateful.

“Mhm. Everyone will be there, too… Goro came up with the idea everyone should dress up, so we’re all wearing a yukata.”

“Everyone dressed up, huh… That sounds nice.” Sojiro sighed lightly, looking with somewhat unseeing eyes away from them before nodding and moving to the kitchen. Akira sighed, walking from behind the counter with his cup of coffee. He sat down on the seat beside Goro, leaning softly against him.

“…he’s been worried lately. I think Futaba might be getting worse.” he murmured quietly. “What were you two discussing before? It was about her, wasn’t it?”

Goro turned a bit more serious, nodding.

“Yes… I checked, and Futaba-chan does have a Palace.” he whispered back. “Ordinarily, I’d proceed to ask all of you to gather right after exams so we could help her right away, however… firstly, I would prefer to contact Futaba-chan in person and ask her explicit permission. She’s no criminal for us to steal a heart of against her will, after all, and it might make things easier for us in the Metaverse. Secondly… I admit I have troubles figuring out what exactly is her distortion of Boss’s house.”

Akira sighed and closed his eyes briefly, resting his chin on his folded arms.

 _Well, there you have it, Futaba_ , he thought. _You have the place bugged; you know what we’re planning to do now. Will you let us help you, one more time?_

“…well, for once we don’t have a deadline, but, I don’t know… if Boss is getting worried, then so am I.”

“Yes, these were my thoughts exactly. Besides… about that deadline, we’ll soon have…”

The bell by the door rang merrily and Goro turned, smiling at the new customers before shaking his head at Akira’s questioning look.

“Go help Boss.” he said, squeezing Akira’s hand gently. “I’ll leave the things I got for you at the attic, alright? I have work in the evening, so I need to go soon.”

Goro stood up, and then smiled softly at Akira’s alarmed, questioning expression.

“Don’t worry.” he murmured, shaking his head. “It’s the good kind of work this time. I’m fine, I promise.”

 

* * *

 

Sometimes, the things that changed depending on Akira’s differing choices weren’t easy to notice, or easy to judge as good or bad. Things like different days at the beef bowl shop being busy; or different customers stopping by at Crossroads in the evenings, carrying different stories they could share with him over the counter.

This, however, was definitely a change for the better, Akira decided as he grabbed a small umbrella Sojiro found for him, stepping outside Leblanc’s door with a little smile on his face. No way a sudden rain is surprising him again this time; and neither will it the rest of the Phantom Thieves, unless they don’t remember the weather warning he had sent to all of them. Goro has already proposed they meet a bit earlier, if there was rain prognosed, so that they could get better places and more sheltered for it, and Akira was all too happy to agree. They were supposed to meet at the pre-arranged spot, and walk from there together, and Akira couldn’t help but grin all the way there.

People were looking at him on the train, he realized after a while. Girls, mostly, but other people, too. With a soft blush, Akira looked at the reflection of himself in the train’s windowpane before him.

Goro had a good eye, he had to give him that. The yukata he had chosen for him was deep, dark grey, almost black; shining with complex, but at the same time subtle patterns worked onto the material. The obi was deep crimson, and Akira couldn’t help but think Ann was onto something when she said Goro had a thing for Joker’s outfit.

Ryuuji was the first one to show up, again, at the pre-arranged place; though Akira barely recognized him. He never thought Ryuuji would look _this_ good in a yukata, but the one Ann has chosen for him – dark-green, somehow playing perfectly against Ryuuji’s blond hair – looked like it was made for him. The blond himself was visibly awkward, but also visibly pleased with people slowing down to stare at the two of them, and one or two girls walking close, asking whether they were waiting for someone – and if not, that they would love to accompany them. Akira told them he’s waiting for his boyfriend each time, just in case. He really didn’t need Ann and Makoto getting angry at Ryuuji again.

Speaking of, the two of them were the next to show up. Akira smiled and complimented their outfits as they, too, gushed about the two of them and how handsome they looked. That left them with only Goro and Yusuke to wait for, and Akira frowned, looking at his phone.

His boyfriend was getting late…

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Is everyone here?”

Akira turned, and went still – and bright red. Yusuke he was prepared for – looking amazing in his yukata, as if he has been born to wear it. But Goro…

Goro, in uncharacteristic greys and deep, enchanting blues; Goro, who had his hair put up in a ponytail, with loose strands framing his face so prettily; Goro, who looked so absolutely, _unfairly_ stunning like this…

“…Akira? Let’s go.” Ann chuckled, nudging him on the arm. The raven nodded, flushing only deeper when Goro smiled at him – blushing a bit himself – and took his hand in his, tangling their fingers together.

“You look amazing.” he whispered, and Akira was finally brought out of his trance, laughing quietly at him.

“You’re one to talk…”

 

* * *

 

They had found a slightly better spot to stand in, and once the rain begun, everyone pulled out their umbrellas and remained relatively dry – but the firework festival was still, though improved, not what it had promised to be. Akira was holding Goro’s hand the entire time; watching more his boyfriend than he did the fireworks, and watching as his face, at first excited, soon turned gloomy and pouty and annoyed at the sky, for not cooperating with their plans.

“…I don’t think there’s much sense standing here any longer.” Goro sighed finally, as the streets cleared up and it became clear that the festival has been firmly cancelled. Ryuuji had forgotten his umbrella, and Goro lent him his own, snuggling under Akira’s with him and Morgana – an arrangement none of them, not even the cat complained about too much.

“I’m so sorry, Makoto…” Ann sighed, resting her hand gently on the girl’s shoulder. “This was supposed to be your welcome party, and this festival…”

“This festival sucked.” Ryuuji nodded, and then yelped – a car came speeding past them, driving right through a rather big puddle by the side of the road. All of them jumped out of the way, and still got slightly splashed; but no one as much as Akira, who pushed Goro to the side to shelter him from the spray.

Cold water clung to his body and dripped from his hair, but Akira still laughed as Goro fussed and wiped it off while Makoto and Ann fretted about how wet his yukata was.

“Always the hero.” Goro sighed, shaking his head.

“Does that make you my princess?” Akira purred back, to the Phantom Thieves’ joint exasperation.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Ann interrupted. “We should do something more today!”

“What would you like us to do, Makoto? There’s no need to be shy.” Yusuke smiled at her lightly and Makoto blinked, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in thought.

“Um… I’m fine with anything, really.”

“Hey, Akira, didn’t you manage to sell that suitcase for some good cash?” Ryuuji chimed out, bouncing a bit – though quickly stopping in his tracks as the sudden movements threatened to make his yukata come open.

“I did; and we have what money was left from our Metaverse trip. We can go wild.” Akira nodded with a smile.

“Let’s go for sushi!” Morgana yelped happily, jumping onto his shoulder, watching as everyone laughed.

“That’s… not a bad idea, I suppose.” Makoto smiled softly.

“We don’t need to limit ourselves to conveyor belt one though, right?” Goro asked, looking hopeful, and Akira had to stop himself from leaning in and kissing him.

“Sushi it will be. Does anyone know a place we can just go to right away?” Akira asked, and both Makoto and Goro grinned at him while Morgana cheered.

“There’s the one I sometimes go to with Sis…”

“I think I know the one you’re talking about, Makoto-san.”

Chatting and laughing, all of them got down to the station and boarded the train; and though rain was still falling and people were still crowding all nearby spaces, Akira couldn’t help but smile lightly. Goro leaned against him and closed his eyes; and Akira thought to himself that as far as welcome parties went, this might have been his favourite one yet.

 

* * *

 

 **Skull:** we need to do stuff like that more often

 **Crow:** I second this. It’s wonderful to go for some actual, quality sushi from time to time

 **Fox:** I agree, too

 **Queen:** I had fun, as well. Thank you, everyone!

 **Panther:** hey joker how’s mona is he still alive?

 **Joker:** barely. I think his stomach isn’t about to burst after all though. and he’s still purring

 **Panther:** that’s good at least

 **Skull:** so… what about that medjed thing?

 **Skull:** think that’s all legitimate?

 **Queen:** yes, I heard about this, too

 **Queen:** I need to say… threatening to reveal our identities… it’s a little bit worrying

 **Crow:** we don’t need to worry about Medjed yet

 **Panther:** oh?

 **Crow:** I would love to explain in detail, but until I have all the data, I would like you all to trust me

 **Crow:** Medjed is not a threat to us for now, and I am positive I will be able to find a way to deal with them without much effort

 **Queen:** that sounds… mysterious

 **Crow:** haha, I apologize for the secrecy

 **Crow:** please trust me for now

 **Skull:** I mean if you say so, man…? it’s not like Crow ever let us down

 **Fox:** I would like to learn more as well, however if it’s the matter of waiting for more information, I do not mind it

 **Panther:** we’ll be waiting then, Crow!

 **Queen:** very well. I ask you not to make us wait too long, however.

 **Crow:** of course

 **Crow:** until then, I request we focus on helping Futaba-chan

 **Panther:** right!

 **Crow:** I spoke about this with Joker before, but we thought it might be prudent to, well

 **Crow:** ask Futaba-chan’s permission before we start digging about in her heart

 **Crow:** it felt like the right thing to do, and it might make things a lot easier for us in the Metaverse

 **Crow:** also, I must admit I’m a little bit stumped concerning her keywords

 **Queen:** I think that’s a good idea. It will make me feel more at ease about this assignment, too

 **Fox:** It would certainly feel a lot better to know we are welcomed in the Metaverse, for a change

 **Panther:** as expected of Crow!

 **Crow:** I have asked Boss about us possibly visiting Futaba-chan; and he seems not entirely against the idea. However, I don’t think it should be all of us

 **Skull:** should we leave it to you and Joker then?

 **Crow:** I would like to request either Makoto or Ann come with us, too

 **Crow:** Futaba-chan might feel more at ease with a girl there with us

 **Queen:** I don’t mind going, as long as it doesn’t happen during school hours

 **Panther:** I have shoots almost whole next week so if you could, Makoto ;;

 **Queen:** of course :)

 **Crow:** we shall decide on a date soon, then

 **Panther:** …hm

 **Skull:** Joker…?

 **Queen:** he has been a bit quiet today, hasn’t he?

 **Fox:** I think Crow is calling him now

 **Fox:** …I think he’s calling Boss now

 **Joker:** I’M HERE I’M HERE I’M SORRY I DOZED OFF

 **Crow:** …

 **Fox:** are you alright, Joker?

 **Fox:** it’s quite unlike you to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation

 **Joker:** I’m alright. I just feel a little shivery

 **Crow:** ………

 **Queen:** shivery /how/

 **Skull:** man you’re not coming down with a cold are you?

 **Joker:** I’m FINE!

 **Panther:** the AC was kinda strong in that sushi place wasn’t it?

 **Panther:** and Joker was in that soaked yukata…

 **Fox:** perhaps we should postpone our investigation of Futaba-chan until Joker feels well

 **Joker:** I keep telling you I feel fine

 **Crow:** I’ll stop by tomorrow

 **Joker:** ugh…

 **Queen:** Joker, you’re our leader

 **Crow:** did you just “ugh” at the idea of me coming over…?

 **Queen:** it’s important to all of us you take good care of yourself

 **Fox:** I second Queen here. Especially since we all know how much physical health and disposition affects the Metaverse

 **Joker:** I didn’t! I “ugh” at the thought of you guys worrying for no reason whatsoever!

 **Joker:** alright… I’ll take a rest today

 **Joker:** just to get you all to stop nagging me

 **Joker:** and you’ll see tomorrow I’ll be all better


	32. Fever Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day however, Akira was not 'all better'.
> 
> Goro takes care of his sick boyfriend and Akira's mind has some things to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the story details requested in my kudos giveaway! Rayne requested one of the boys getting sick and the other taking care of him ^^
> 
> As of this chapter, we get another member of the beta team! Thanks to UnstableFable, NG+ will be hopefully much easier to read and much more enjoyable for it, and I'm just so grateful for that <3

The next day however, Akira was not ‘all better’.

He went to sleep that night trying to calm a worried Morgana down and doing his best to ignore the little shivers and the feeling of heat that wouldn’t leave his cheeks and forehead. During the night, he didn’t sleep well and thrashed on the bed, waking up now and again with his throat parched and his head hurting. What had started as just a little chill, evolved into serious headache and an ugly cough by the time morning came.

Akira still wasn’t sure how he managed to drag himself out of bed and dress for school, over Morgana’s worried protests. He couldn’t just skip classes right before their summer break, Akira reasoned with the cat, and walked down the stairs, trying not to shiver as a weird feeling of cold suddenly came over him.

All it took for Sojiro was to look at him once before ordering Akira to clear off from his café and back into his attic, and into bed – the last thing he needed was the raven infecting all his customers, Sojiro reasoned, even if the kind, worried look in his eyes told Akira he was anything but mad at him.

Well, it wasn’t like he could sneak out now. The raven sighed and obeyed, dressing back into his pyjamas as he heard, from downstairs, Sojiro calling his school and explaining that Akira won’t be able to attend today. He had smiled lightly as he fell onto his bed – asleep again before his head even hit the pillow.

Headache was what woke him up a few hours later – and he saw a tall glass of water and some pills waiting for him on a nearby chair, together with a note from Sojiro to call out once he wakes up. Akira smiled and dragged himself into a sitting position, feeling strangely moved when he noticed he was covered with a new, clean blanket that has been tucked carefully around him – and that his phone had about fifteen new messages and missed calls on it, with both the Phantom Thieves and his other Confidants inquiring whether he was alright.

Sojiro came up after a while, no doubt hearing him move; with a plate of curry that was so spicy Akira was crying all through eating it, downing one glass of water after the other while the older man told him to eat, and that his curry was sure to cure any cold he might have caught. Akira allowed the fussing and tried his best to obey; but every moment he spent with Sojiro watching him with that concerned, calm look in his old eyes, he felt worse and worse.

By his own carelessness, not only did Akira cause Boss trouble, but worst of all, he had forced them to postpone the investigation of Futaba’s Palace even further. Sure, it felt nice, to be allowed to stay at home and rest. It felt nice to see Sojiro and Morgana fuss about him, to see messages from all his friends wishing he gets better soon, to see how every half an hour Goro would send him a private text asking how was he feeling and whether he needed anything. But even if it felt nice, the raven felt he shouldn’t be feeling this way if it was being paid for with them taking even longer to help Futaba.

Out there, in a house just few streets away, she was waiting for them to save her – and all he ended up doing, instead of helping her, was make her wait until his stupid, ridiculous cold will go away.

Akira couldn’t stop thinking about this, buried under blankets and trying to pacify Morgana by not moving – the cat would yell at him every time he tried to as much as shift under the covers, which made him sweat so much he felt like he just came out of a pool. Morgana kept telling him to rest – and as he felt the heat in his cheeks increase, and the pounding headache that was splitting his head open intensify, Akira finally closed his eyes and complied – though what waited for him in his dreams was anything but rest.

 

_Even from the start, Akira knew he was dreaming; and yet the realization he was did nothing to stop the almost scarily realistic nature of his dream. He was in the Velvet Room again – the different one. The distorted, nightmarishly unfamiliar one._

_Goro was standing behind the bars of one of the cells; his prisoner’s uniform torn and bloody, his face covered in bruises. There was a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his lips; and Akira saw, as his boyfriend looked at him desperately, that he was crying too. His fingers were thin and pale as they wrapped around the cold bars and Akira was shocked to see how tightly Goro’s heavy, golden chains bit into his skin; it was red and scraped raw under the heavy links._

_“Why?” Goro whispered to him, sobbing, recoiling as he saw Akira take a hesitant step forward._

_“Please don’t do this… please stop… please, I’ll do anything!”_

_Akira stopped in his tracks, not understanding, not able to fathom what was happening. His lips parted and yet, just like before, he felt his throat tighten and his voice catch before it could slip through his lips; and he slid down to his knees as Goro sobbed, hiding his face in his hands, covering his eyes not to look at him._

_The dream shifted and changed; dissolving into a swirl of senseless scenes and colours Akira could not make any sense of before solidifying into another scene – a familiar one this time. He was standing on top of the world; full Joker’s get-up on and the comforting, solid feeling of his mask resting over his eyes. Akira looked around, watching as the rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded and smiled at him encouragingly. He felt his chest swell with hope and determination – and then, he looked ahead._

_Yaldabaoth looked just as formidable as he did before, the first time they fought. A giant angel made of gold, so enormous he covered the rest of the world with himself. The eyeless, faceless mask that served as his head turned to Akira, and all of a sudden, he felt rooted to the spot. One of the mechanical arms moved and stretched; a gun fired, and the raven could see a single bullet surge through the air towards him._

_There was a flash of red and white; and the next moment, something warm and heavy fell over him, knocking him down to the floor. Akira stared; his heart sinking deep into his stomach, the chant of no, no, no, no resounding in his head. Goro looked pale, but determined as he laid there in his arms; his mask gone, obviously knocked off somewhere during his jump. His eyes stared, unseeing, at the sky over Akira’s shoulder as two thin tendrils of blood swirled and trickled down from the round hole in his forehead, running down his cheeks like crimson tears. The world dissolved and shifted once more, and Akira screamed in agony._

_The crimson from Goro’s blood solidified into Shibuya’s distorted image. He still had the detective in his arms, and he was alive this time, but barely; grasping at him, eyes wide with panic as their hands met and then passed through one another, dissolving together with all of the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Akira looked around, helpless, and tried to scream; and yet once more, he couldn’t. Not a sound escaped his lips._

_“Akira, help me! Help me, please!”_

_He was in the engine room, watching the heavy, metal curtain fall between them and Goro; watching the detective’s last, defeated smile, feeling his chest clench painfully. The curtain fell, but it was transparent now; and Akira saw the guns shoot, and cognitive Akechi dissolve into black mist. He saw, as if in slow motion, Goro’s hand shooting up, blood trickling like tears from between his fingers from the open wound that was once his left eye. He watched as Goro felt to his knees, and watched as the Shadows that cognitive Akechi had summoned before pounced on him, ripping and clawing, tearing him to shreds._

_He was in the interrogation room; face pressed hard into the cold, hard floor as yet another kick landed into his side._

_“Stop struggling, scum!” one of the men yelled as Akira tried to yank his arm away but keeping quiet, always quiet, because he couldn’t show them weakness, couldn’t show he was scared, couldn’t show he was_ terrified _of what they were about to do. The man grinned as he picked up the syringe, knocking his fingers lightly against the needle – and Akira struggled again, feeling cold dread tear at his insides as the man pressed the needle to his bared arm._

_“This should make you talk…”_

_He was laying on the bed in a tiny, empty cell. It was quiet, almost painfully so. The solitary confinement cells were always so very quiet. The walls, devoid of any colour, stung his eyes. The bed, the door, the toilet, the sink. His eyes darted around the room, again and again. The bed, the door, the toilet, the sink. There was nothing else to see, nothing else to count, nothing else to focus on, but he had to focus, he had to, because if he let his mind wander for just a bit…_

_The silence grew too painful again, and Akira started singing; it didn’t matter what, some old tune, an old children’s song he remembered from his childhood. And still, it was as if his voice barely managed to penetrate the silence. It felt weak and quiet, and the moment he stopped to take in a breath, the silence swooped in again, filling every nook and crevice like thick, all-consuming slime._

_Akira shivered and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Goro’s bloody face was smiling at him sadly from the blank wall._

_“Let’s make a deal… okay? You won’t say no, will you?”_

_“No… please, no…” Akira whispered, covering his ears and closing his eyes tightly. He felt tears trickle down his cheeks. No matter how hard he tried, Goro’s voice still reached him; it was in his head, after all._

_“Please…”_

_“I’m sorry…” Akira sobbed, curling up on the hard, lumpy bed in his solitary confinement cell. “I’m sorry… I couldn’t save you… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…!”_

“Akira..?”

It was as if someone had stepped through the world of nightmare that was swirling and shifting around Akira’s curled-up, trembling form and made it stop. The oppressive silence vanished, and an array of everyday, soft, barely-noticeable noises filled the air. It was hot; it was almost stifling hot, and he felt gross and sweaty and weak as gentle, cool fingers pried Akira’s hands away from his ears, massaging his scalp carefully where he tugged on his hair hard enough for it to sting.

“Akira, it’s alright. You’re having a nightmare. It’s alright, you’re safe. I’m here, Akira. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry.” Akira whispered, opening his eyes to see the same face he has seen a moment ago; though not bloody anymore and not smiling that sad smile. Goro’s face was half-covered in a white mask, and Akira felt himself panic, reaching, needing to check, needing to make sure he wasn’t hiding an injury under that mask. Goro stared at him, but didn’t protest as Akira tugged the mask away and then hid his face in his hands, sobbing in relief, because Goro wasn’t hurt, he was alright, he was there, a worried look in his alive, shining eyes…

“I’m sorry…” Akira kept sobbing, his breaths coming out in sharp, hasty little gasps. “I couldn’t… I tried to… We were too late, we should have helped, we should have…”

“Akira, calm down… I’m here, it’s alright, it was just a nightmare, it wasn’t real…”

“I couldn’t save you…” Akira sobbed all over again, trembling as that cool, gentle hand thread through his hair and pressed over his forehead, so perfectly solid, _alive_.

“You did save me, Akira.” Goro’s voice was soft, gentle, calming. He had his mask on again, and Akira reached out once more to take it off, but this time, Goro caught his hand in his own and pressed it against his cool cheek, stroking his palm gently.

“The mask needs to stay on, Akira. You’re sick, and I’d rather not catch anything from you – though one would debate how much a mask like that can really help. Shhhh… you’re alright. I’m here now. And I need you to calm down. Won’t you breathe with me?”

Slowly; one breath after the other, Akira felt himself calm down; but his mind didn’t clear, still staggering on the fine line between dreams and reality. He watched, through barely-open eyes, how Goro turned to the side, talking to someone on the floor. It took him awhile to realize he had to be talking to Morgana.

“I think he’s going to be fine now… How long was he asleep?”

“Few hours. He was acting all restless for most of it, but it didn’t get bad until you came here. If it had, I’d have woken him up sooner.”

“Still, thank you for watching over him for me, Mona. Do you want to take a nap now?”

“Uh… maybe. Do you think you’ll be alright?”

“I’m positive.”

Akira could feel Goro’s smile in his voice. Even just listening to it, breathing to the rhythm of Goro’s chest rising and falling, feeling the detective’s gentle, cool hand stroke through his damp with sweat hair – it made him feel safe. It made him feel at peace. His eyelids grew heavy again, but he tried to fight it, terrified to lose the moment of respite Goro had granted him.

“You’re sleepy, aren’t you? Don’t fight it. You need rest, Akira.”

“…don’t want to.” Akira mumbled, trying his best to keep his eyes open. If falling asleep meant falling into another nightmare like that, he was not going to do it, thank you very much. Goro sighed softly, gentle as he stroked through Akira’s hair.

“You need to. Hey… it’s alright. I’m right here. If you have another nightmare, I promise I’ll wake you. I won’t leave your side, not even for a second.”

The words were soothing, calming, hopeful. Exactly like Goro’s voice itself. Akira found himself nuzzling his cheek against the detective’s hand, feeling his mind slowly slip into a dream again.

“Promise…?” he managed to mumble.

“I promise.” Goro replied. “You’re safe with me, Akira. I’ll keep you safe.”

 

* * *

 

Whether he had woken up afterwards – whether it was just once or a few times over – Akira really couldn’t tell. The fact of the matter was that when he woke up fully the next time, it was already growing dark out – and his body felt heavy and exhausted and sore and weak, but he didn’t feel as insufferably, stiflingly hot anymore.

His fever seemed to have broken, if only for a little while.

Akira looked around the attic. The familiar room seemed somehow different, the edges of what furniture he had blurry in the quickly-falling darkness. On the desk, he saw, there were unfamiliar books and notebooks set out, together with a laptop Akira identified as Goro’s. By his bedside, there was a chair; and he saw a small basin of water and a wet rag in it that made a soft smile come onto his lips, imagining his boyfriend watching over him as he slept, wiping the sweat off his brow. Morgana was curled up on his chest, fast asleep; and apart from him, there was no one there.

Just as Akira had thought that, and deliberated trying to sit up and perhaps go wash some of the sweat off of himself, he could hear soft, quiet footsteps climbing the stairs; and Goro appeared, smiling when he saw Akira was awake – though the raven could only see it in his eyes. He was still wearing the mask.

“Hello there. How are you feeling? I was just about to wake you up.” Goro said softly, turning the lights on and walking slowly towards Akira and sitting down on the chair that was set right beside his bed, setting the tray he was carrying on his lap. It contained two mugs of hot tea and a bowl of something that looked and smelt like…

“…chicken soup?”

“Chicken soup.” Goro confirmed; and unless Akira was very much mistaken, the detective was blushing. Tips of his ears definitely turned more pink than they were before. Akira felt himself smile weakly.

“You cooked me chicken soup so that I’ll feel better?”

“Well… Boss helped.” Goro mumbled, clearing his throat and nudging Morgana awake – though only managing to get him to yawn and roll over from Akira’s chest to the side of the bed, allowing the raven to sit up. “Anyway, you haven’t answered my question.”

“I feel like shit, but… nowhere as bad as I did back then. I’m not… did I say anything weird..? It’s hard to tell what was dream and what was not anymore.” Akira shook his head, shuddering as he remembered his nightmares. He pulled himself up slowly, into some sort of half-sitting position and stared when Goro nudged a spoonful of soup against his lips. The detective blushed more.

“…shut up. You’re sick, I’m your boyfriend, so the protocol is, I feed you soup.” he mumbled, and Akira was too stunned not to accept it. He ate five whole spoonfuls before the detective looked away and answered his question.

“You didn’t… I mean, you were having a nightmare. Bad, by the sound of it. So you were a bit confused, but you didn’t… say anything weird. Don’t worry.”

“…okay.” Akira mumbled, also blushing a little more as he accepted another bit of soup. “It’s delicious.” he added after a moment, smiling as he watched Goro’s ears growing pinker still.

And it was – delicious, that was. Delicious and warming him up in a pleasant, strengthening way that felt like home; that felt gentle and calming after the fever and the nightmares. And as slowly, spoon by spoon, Goro fed him, talking quietly about school and what he talked about with Boss and about nothing in particular, Akira felt more and more like the luckiest person alive, despite his nightmares, headache and cold.

“…thank you.” he murmured after a moment, once the soup was gone, and once Goro allowed him to at least drink the tea completely by himself, leaning back on the chair with his own mug. The detective looked at him questioningly, and Akira smiled.

“For coming here… for taking care of me.”

“You’d do the same for me. Probably fussing a lot more.” Goro shrugged with a little smile.

“Still.” Akira smiled lightly, shaking his head.  “I feel a lot better now.”

“Right.” Goro raised his eyebrows at him. “Your fever went away for a moment, but that does not mean you’re healthy. Once you’re done with your tea, I’ll go down and call doctor Takemi to have a look at you, just in case.”

“Goro…” Akira groaned, only to be poked, sternly, on his chest.

“Don’t you _Goro_ me, you idiot. It’s your own damn fault you ended up getting sick, so stop whining and let me take care of you.”

Akira pouted and reached for Mr. Floof, pulling him close against his chest and burying his face into the soft plushie, grumbling softly into it. Admittedly, he was mostly doing that to make Goro smile and roll his eyes at him, at which he succeeded. His boyfriend could really be a mother-hen sometimes.

“Anyway.” Goro said, tugging on the plushie after setting both of their empty mugs carefully on the shelf behind him. “I messaged everyone, and they are still worried about Medjed.”

“Right…” Akira hummed, looking up from over Mr. Floof at Goro. “You said it wasn’t a threat?”

“It isn’t.” Goro shook his head; and then, looked at Morgana, watching him for a little while to make sure he was asleep. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Medjed’s message isn’t one from the actual hacker organization. It’s one of Shido’s lackeys putting it there, in order to both provoke the Phantom Thieves and to wreak havoc and unrest, because the more people are afraid, the more likely they are to crowd around Shido.”

“Huh… but how does that benefit him? If we take that fake Medjed down somehow…”

“We will. I’ll figure out a way, but generally speaking, even if we do nothing, Shido will make sure it will _seem_ as if we won. He wants to build up the Phantom Thieves’ popularity before it comes crashing down.”

“And he’s already planned the way it will crash?”

“…he did.” Goro said quietly, avoiding Akira’s eyes. Even with his headache still faintly there, the raven frowned, reaching his hand out and covering Goro’s own with it.

“Tell me.”

“Later.” Goro shook his head, looking back at him with slightly defiant look in his eyes. “Trust me for now, Akira.”

“I trust you always.” Akira smiled – and, after a moment of hesitation, Goro smiled back at him from behind his mask, reaching his hand out to thread slowly through Akira’s hair.

“Thank you.” he whispered – and for a moment, Akira was sure Goro was about to lean in and kiss him. He had evidently stopped himself, and though Akira understood his boyfriend not wanting to kiss a sick person, he still pouted.

“Shush.” Goro laughed, poking his lips gently. “Anyway… I asked everyone to come to Leblanc in a week or so, once you are completely better, so that we can discuss our plans and perhaps go visit Futaba-chan in one fell swoop.”

“A _week_?!”

“We can’t afford you infecting people, Akira.” Goro wagged his finger at him. “Also… I was thinking. I… I am not sure how our group, the situation overall and our… well, our relationship will look like after we are done with Futaba-chan’s Palace.”

“What do you _mean,_ our relationship, why would anything—”

“Let me talk.” Goro shook his head, looking determined. “I just… I have promised to come clean to everyone, after we help Futaba-chan. I intend to keep that promise. I was just thinking… that sleepover we planned. Would it be… very selfish of me, if I asked we did it before we infiltrate her Palace? Even just a day before… I want this one last night, Akira. Is that… a lot to ask?”

For a long moment, Akira watched the detective; a soft, understanding expression in his eyes. He could feel Goro’s uncertainty, he could feel his fear – and his yearning for one last bit of warmth and affection. And the raven found he really couldn’t deny his boyfriend something as little as that.

“A week from now, we meet up at Leblanc and go to investigate.” He said, quietly. “Supposing we get the keyword, _and_ Futaba’s permission, we’ll be ready to go in. It’s almost summer break. Let’s have that sleepover the last day before the start of the break, so we’ll have a whole day free afterwards… and then, with all of us free from school, we’ll start the infiltration.”

Goro smiled brightly – and this time, he did lean in. A kiss on Akira’s forehead, given through scratchy, thin material of the white surgical mask felt strange, but he was happy with it, nevertheless.

“Sounds like a plan, leader.” Goro whispered with a smile. “Thank you.”


	33. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Akira gets better, the date of their inevitable investigation of Futaba inches closer. Meanwhile, Goro receives a suspicious message.

****It was an excessively long week, in Akira’s opinion.

He was never one to laze about in one place, even when he was still at home and not in Tokyo, where so many things needed doing and so many friendships needed strengthening. Indeed, if anything, Akira was usually rebelling against Morgana’s constant insistences to go to sleep, arguing that if he could have just an hour, a minute, _ten seconds_ more, he could do a few more things before getting to bed.

Spending a week confined to his bedroom was, quite literally, _hell_.

It wasn’t all bad, of course. It felt nice to be taken care of, for once, and Akira was stunned just how many people insisted on taking care of him all of a sudden. Goro and Sojiro were a given; both of them fretting over him in their own way. Ito-san sent a basket of sweets for him with Goro once she heard he was down with a cold, and some ointment that had the sickly-sweet, pungent scent reminding Akira of old mothballs that was supposed to do wonders for his sickness, but ended up doing wonders for putting him in some sort of blushy daze after Goro had insisted on smearing it over his chest. The raven ended up spending half of the night wide awake, trying to get himself to stop feeling hot and giddy from the memory of his boyfriend’s fingertips massaging his skin.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves came visit, too; with sweets, food and notes from school, and even more wishes of getting better. Really, by the end of the week, Akira felt like he was recovering from some deadly disease, not just a cold, with how much fuss everyone was making over him.

Still, no matter how nice it felt to be fussed about, spending a whole week locked in his attic was terrible. At least after the third day, Morgana – behind Goro’s back, his boyfriend was a _lot_ more strict during his daily visits – allowed Akira to get out of bed. The attic was cleaner now than Akira has ever remembered it be, they had sufficient supply of infiltration tools to last them until Yaldabaoth at least and Akira even repaired the old laptop he got from the second-hand store. He did all of his schoolwork and handed it over through Ann, texted with all his friends constantly and still felt like he lost a whole week of time when he could be _doing_ things.

The day he has finally been proclaimed completely healthy and non-contagious by excessively amused Takemi came as real relief, then. And not just because this meant he could get out of bed; but also because the moment Takemi left and with Morgana nowhere in sight, Goro – who was just visiting him and had already set out his notes and homework on Akira’s desk, ready to get to work – tugged his mask off and cupped the raven’s cheeks, giving him a deep, thorough kiss.

“…there.” he murmured, blushing slightly, once they parted; and Akira was positive he must have been wearing a rather silly grin, for how much Goro’s eyes shone as he looked at him. “Never get sick again. I hated it.”

“Hated taking care of me?” Akira gasped, faking indignation; and continuing to gasp dramatically until Goro finally burst out laughing.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” his boyfriend mumbled, shoving lightly on Akira’s shoulder. “I missed being able to hang out with you properly.”

“What am _I_ supposed to say?”

“ _And_ being able to kiss you.” Goro murmured again, and Akira felt his expression soften. He watched his boyfriend; how he sat down on the edge of his bed, face tinted with a faint blush as he pushed a tuft of hair behind his ear.

“It’s stilly, isn’t it…?” the brunet continued as Akira sat up as well, scooting over to sit next to him. “Sometimes, I feel like some stupid, head-over-heels teenager… We never really even touched that much, until our last date. And _I_ never really… I’m not a very physically affectionate person. Or perhaps… I never had the occasion to be. Now, a week of not being able to touch you, and…”

“You _are_ a teenager, Goro.” Akira said, smiling at him softly. “And so am I. Head-over-heels is… something we should feel without having to justify ourselves, right?”

“Perhaps.” Goro chuckled, shaking his head with that same, faraway smile on his face. Akira watched him fiddle with the charm of his necklace and felt his heart beat harder and harder in his chest. He couldn’t really find anything _right_ to say to that, so he settled on catching Goro’s chin in his fingers and gently tilting his face up, pulling him into a flurry of kisses; each of them sweeter than the next.

 _I love you_.

“It’s the same for me.” Akira whispered, brushing their noses together in an affectionate gesture. “I was never really the most physical of people. But you… you’re different.”

Goro took in a soft breath and leaned in to kiss him again; and Akira felt himself, once more, fall back down on the bed, his boyfriend hovering over him, their hands tangling in each other’s hair.

And god, Goro was so warm in his arms. He felt so _right_ there, Akira never wanted to let him go. His slim body over his own, how soft his hair was as it fell down to frame his cheeks, his eyes, shining with so many emotions, his sweet lips, his long, elegant fingers, the way he shivered when Akira turned their kisses less innocent now, grasping, chasing after the heated, hungry feeling that seemed to envelop his body more and more…

And then, Goro pulled away briefly, and pressed their foreheads together; and Akira felt his wandering hands still, detecting some shift, some uneasiness about his boyfriend that wasn’t there before. Goro’s body slowly pressed down against his, but it was hesitant and in search of comfort rather than anything else; and Akira felt arms sneaking down to pull him into a hug, unsure, like a child’s.

“…how am I different?” he heard Goro mumble. For a long while, Akira didn’t understand his question; and then, he felt his expression soften as he leaned back to press a long, soft kiss to Goro’s forehead.

“You’re special.” he whispered back. “More than special. Haven’t I told you that already?”

 _God, you have no idea, do you? I love you so much_.

“Special… and the only one for me.”

 

* * *

 

It was barely afternoon, and yet the sky was dark and rumbling with thunder. Though they ended up cuddling on the bed for a while, Goro had let Akira go after some time. He seemed to feel slightly embarrassed of his moment of weakness and very pointedly didn’t mention what they had talked about again. Akira was alright with that. He understood – more than Goro could ever suspect he would – what was going on in the brunet’s head.

And so, instead of talking anymore, they went downstairs, for some curry and coffee and Sojiro’s concern and questions over Akira’s health and his well-masked joy at being told the raven was officially much better now. Goro has been tasked with helping Boss behind the counter anyway that day; apparently, Sojiro has been slowly teaching him how to brew a proper cup while Akira was ill. With some free time to spare and being free to come and go again, Akira made use of his newfound freedom by taking a short, relaxing bath at the bathhouse and teasing Goro from his seat by the counter before Sojiro finally told him to quit it and instead be useful and get some groceries he’ll need to make dinner and didn’t have time to procure himself.

Still laughing at his last attempt of distracting his boyfriend from memorizing the bean types, Akira grabbed his bag and went outside again, looking up at the dark, ominous sky. They were still waiting for Makoto to join them in their visit to Futaba, and it felt nice to busy himself with something. As he picked up the vegetables and other things from the list Sojiro gave him at the shop, Akira felt his mind wander.

Yes, it felt good to do something again. Even if they were still waiting for one member of their getting-Futaba-to-talk-to-them team, at least they were going to do it today. At least, with their plans being better-rounded now and actual deadlines being set, it didn’t feel like they were wasting time anymore. And so, though the thunder rumbled in the distance overhead, Akira felt his heart grow light; and he smiled, carrying the groceries for Sojiro back to Leblanc, happy to be able to act again.

He arrived back just in time to meet with Makoto on her way from the station, right when the dark clouds overhead became clearly heavy with rain; welcomed by Goro’s smile from behind the counter.

“…ah, I could get used to seeing you there.” Akira laughed as Goro said hello to Makoto – and Morgana, who showed up, sensing the incoming rain and sniffing hopefully at the bags Akira was carrying.

“How are you feeling?” Makoto asked him with concern, and he reassured her, smiling; before frowning at the empty – save for Goro – Leblanc.

“…where did Boss go to? Weren’t we supposed to come visit Futaba?”

“Well, he went on ahead to, uh… warn her, I suppose?” Goro smiled – a somewhat tense smile, and gestured at Akira’s groceries. “I think we can go carry that to his home now we’re all here. It’s going to rain soon, anyway, so it’d be good to get it over with. I just hope Futaba-chan won’t be alarmed by the three of us… worst comes to worst, Makoto-san, you’ll go in alone, alright?”

“Of course.” Makoto nodded. “I will do my best.”

“I just hope this won’t be an issue… I might be wrong, of course, but it feels like the more of us Futaba-chan lets in, the easier our mission will prove. The real question is, how are we going to get her to talk to us - any of us - alone, without Boss suspecting anything?”

“We could just—“

Before Akira could finish his thought, they heard Goro’s phone chime quietly, interrupting him. The brunet hummed in confusion, pulling out the device from his pocket with a quiet mutter of _I could have sworn I put it on silent_ , only to stare at the screen. Akira shook himself off the momentary distraction of noticing Goro kept his phone in the case he gave him – why wouldn’t he, obviously he did – to look questioningly at the brunet.

“Everything’s okay..?” he asked, only to blink when Goro shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, looking around the café suspiciously before showing the three of them the screen. Akira stared; and as Goro had set his device on the counter for them to read better, he barely noticed Morgana jumping onto the polished surface so he could see, too.

 

 **Alibaba:** what do you want with Futaba Sakura?

 

They looked at each other shortly; Akira hoped his reaction wasn’t too far off from what he hoped to show his friends. He couldn’t help feeling somewhat shaken, and for all the wrong reasons. There was a sudden, irrational pang of jealousy in his chest that shot through his heart and refused to let go, no matter how silly Akira felt for feeling like this.

What was he getting all jealous for…? Sure, during his first game, Futaba messaged _him_ first, and days before now; so what? This didn’t mean anything. He was overreacting. Perhaps Goro’s phone was just easier to hack into; or perhaps his number was easier to find. Or maybe she just chose him by accident. Really, he was way too affected by a little thing like that. It didn’t matter; what mattered most was that they will finally be able to help her.

Akira frowned, biting his lip and forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. They had a hurt, depressed, broken girl to save; and though the situation was similar to the one he remembered, they better think carefully on how to proceed. The sooner they get Futaba to let them in, the sooner they can help her. Their safest course of action – and the only one to take, really – would be to tell her the truth. Then again, Goro and Makoto didn’t know who texted them yet; Akira somehow needed to get them to see...

“…should we just reply?” he asked, bidding for time while Makoto frowned at the sender.

“Who’s _Alibaba_?”

“Both of you, don’t _speak_.” Goro said quietly, frowning at the two of them. “I got this text right after we mentioned Futaba-chan. Whomever is texting, they know what we talk abou—”

His phone chimed again, and Goro frowned, showing them the screen once more.

 

 **Alibaba:** very smart of you, mr detective

 **Alibaba:** yes I can hear you

 **Alibaba:** I also have some interesting conversations of yours all recorded and wrapped in a nice package ready to be sent to the police

 **Alibaba:** chat logs, conversations… you weren’t exactly sneaky

 **Alibaba:** leader of the Phantom Thieves

 

As the texts flowed in, colour steadily drained from Goro’s and Makoto’s cheeks. Still, the last comment made Goro raise his eyebrows and look up at Akira, who tried to - once more - push down the sudden and confusing pang of jealousy and annoyance. Looking from the sides, the way Futaba has, was Goro really such a pronounced presence with them that she’d mistake him for the leader?

After a moment, Goro answered. He was speaking clearly, though carefully, weighing each word, his expression tense.

“…well, you clearly don’t know as much as you think. I’m not the leader.”

 

 **Alibaba:**...no? the quiet one is then

 **Alibaba:** be that as it may

 **Alibaba:** I think I made our position clear

 **Alibaba:** so let me ask again

 **Alibaba:** what do you want with Futaba Sakura?

 

“We want to help her.” Makoto said, also clearly and carefully, frowning as she addressed Goro’s phone for lack of better conversation partner. “She’s the daughter of our leader’s caretaker, and it came to our attention she’s suffering. We want to heal her heart. What’s wrong with that..? Are you going to set the police on us for wanting to help an innocent girl?”

Goro smiled at her, and though Akira felt like smiling, too, somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t understand what was happening – somehow… it felt like he was… not needed here. He never spoke too much; he much preferred to listen, and yet it always felt like his word was the decisive one. Here… right now… somehow, all of a sudden, he felt _redundant_.

It confused him. It made him feel guilty; and most of all, it made him angry at himself. He was being such a child…

For a long time – and as Akira tried to get his suddenly uneasy mind to calm down – they all stared at the screen, waiting for Futaba’s response. Akira half-expected to see her deactivate, like she did with first few conversations with him; but then, the typing icon showed up again.

 

 **Alibaba:** can you really do it?

 **Alibaba:** I suppose… if you steal Futaba Sakura’s heart, it will heal it…

 **Alibaba:** why do you want to meet her first, though?

 **Alibaba:** I have followed your previous ‘changes of heart’

 **Alibaba:**  In no case did it seem important you meet your target

 

They looked at each other again; and this time, Akira leapt at a chance to talk.

“In no other case were we against a normal person, not a criminal… and, well, there are certain conditions we need to meet in order to steal a heart. In order to fulfill these, we need to speak with her in person.”

 

 **Alibaba:** …huh

 **Alibaba:** ugh

 **Alibaba:** does it have to be today………?

 

Goro frowned; and then, to Akira’s surprise, he smiled lightly, looking around the café; his brow, which was furrowed ever since they started talking to ‘Alibaba’ now clear and even amused.

“I know it’s somewhat scary, all of a sudden meeting three strangers, Futaba-chan.” he said, in a soft, understanding voice. “But we really need your help, and your explicit permission. Wouldn’t you rather meet us, too, before allowing us into your heart?”

His phone blipped wildly; and then, Akira saw the messenger app deactivate, and couldn’t help but smile as well as Makoto chuckled and nodded to herself.

“So you think the same as me… it had to be her, hadn’t it…?”

“I’d say that’s as good as confirmed now.” Goro nodded. “Futaba-chan, we’re coming over now.”

It was Akira’s phone that chimed this time.

 

 **Alibaba:** wait! tomorrow! I need to prepare it can’t be done right away it definitely cant!

 

“We can’t come tomorrow, Futaba-chan.” Makoto said sternly after reading through the text on Akira’s screen. Goro seemed to be smiling a more affectionate smile now, and Akira noticed – with a sudden surge of warmth – his boyfriend’s eyes were locked on the picture on the flap of his phone instead of the screen.

“We’re coming in in five minutes. You have this long to prepare.”

 

* * *

 

As he stood by the entrance to Sojiro’s house, waiting until the man stops yelling and shining a flashlight into his eyes, Akira thought with slight amusement that there were some things in life that simply never changed, no matter what choices he made.

They had entered Sojiro’s house on schedule; and just like last time, despite the date being different, the rain had already started falling by the time they made it to the door. Akira already knew he was going to be the comfort animal; not just because Makoto started acting somewhat nervous even before they entered the house, but also because of how Goro kept near him, just a little bit closer than necessary.

When the thunder rumbled right over their heads and the light went out, his predictions very quickly turned out to be correct. Futaba emerged from behind them like some monster from the deep her Persona will later prove to resemble, and that became the last straw. Goro let out a high-pitched squeak and clung to Akira’s arm, and on the other side of him, he could hear Makoto’s soft, terrified mumbling as she dropped to her knees and hugged his leg, trembling. Were he not currently wrapped in two very tight hugs and trying not to laugh out loud, Akira would have _loved_ to snap a picture. He’d have enough teasing material for _years_ …

He was still shaking with contained laughter when Sojiro came back yelling about intruders; and then the lights clicked back on, and Akira had slowly been released from the death grip both Goro and Makoto had on him, with more or less persuasion needed from his side.

At first, Sojiro wasn’t pleased with them just entering his home – but all three of them proved good at making excuses. They simply wanted to bring the groceries to him, they explained. The door was open, and it started to rain; they had just assumed Sojiro had fallen asleep by the TV or something of the sort. They really should be excused – and so they were.

What Sojiro was less quick to decide on was them eventually meeting Futaba, according to the original plan. Makoto had made a point they should apologize for the fright they have caused her,if nothing else, but still, Boss wasn’t convinced.

“It’s not that I don’t think the idea of her meeting some kids her age is bad…” Sojiro sighed, once he took the groceries from Akira and invited them further into the house, and into the kitchen where he started unpacking them. “It’s just… maybe not the best time. I don’t want her to be even more frightened.”

“...do you think letting her stay cooped up in that room forever will make her any less frightened?” Akira heard himself say. Sojiro looked up at him; for a moment, the raven thought he was going to get angry. Instead, the old man sighed and shook his head, closing the fridge before sitting heavily on one of the kitchen chairs.

“I know it won’t.” he said, in a quiet, tired voice. “Also… I owe you an apology, kid. For keeping her away from you… I bet you already know everything, huh?”

“I promised you I wouldn’t talk about this to anyone, Boss.” Goro said quietly. “I kept my promise.”

“...huh.” The old man sniffled and shook his head, looking up at the ceiling. They couldn’t hear anything from upstairs; Futaba, wherever she was now, was very quiet.

“It’s fine.” he sighed finally. “He should know, and I’d rather someone I know has the whole picture tells the story. Just… don’t do that now, in front of her, alright? Futaba… she’s a good girl. I wish I could help her more, but the way she is… I just want to keep her happy.” He sniffled again. “I’m sorry, kids. I know you mean well; but you really should come some other–”

“S-Sojiro…?”

The voice was quiet, barely there; and yet, it made all of them fall silent and turn around. There was hardly more of her visible than one eye and a slick stream of bright-orange hair, but there she stood – Futaba, out of her room and _speaking_.

Akira didn’t know who was more stunned – him, or Sojiro.

“…Futaba? You… came out of your room?”

The girl remained quiet, squirming behind the doorframe; and then, she reached her hand out and pointed at Goro.

“I can talk to him!”

And with that, she was gone. Sojiro stared; and Akira felt, for the third time that evening, burning jealousy rear its ugly head as he watched Goro smile hesitantly at the two of them and then – after a stunned Sojiro nodded at him briefly – slowly walk after the girl, towards the stairs leading to her room.

Akira curled his fists, trying to beat down the unwelcome feeling. Why was he acting so… so _stupid_? This was all for the best. Futaba was already more at ease with them than ever. She surely picked Goro because she heard him discuss her a lot more with Sojiro; maybe even heard him protect her father from Sae.

Really, once Akira thought of it, Goro was the obvious choice. All three of them were definitely too much for Futaba to handle about now.

…why, then? Why did it feel so… so _bad_ …?


	34. Sweet Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira tries to make sense of his own emotions; meanwhile, the long-awaited sleepover finally takes place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a companion piece which you can read [**here**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17439896)!
> 
> Quick warning that chapter 34,5 is NSFW, though because it contains no plot or character development, you also definitely don't lose any of the story by not reading it :) If you're underage or just not feeling like reading smut today, please give it a rest! For the rest of you, enjoy ^^

Goro had made them wait that evening. After a long while of just standing awkwardly in the kitchen with Sojiro, Akira had offered that he and Makoto could share an umbrella - Morgana had disappeared after his boyfriend as he walked up the stairs.

Getting out of the house felt good, even if the rain still fell and the thunder still rumbled; and Makoto clung to his arm all the way back to Leblanc, shivering slightly every time lightning lit the sky. Outside, in all this rain and thunder, Akira felt like he could breathe easier. He tried to make sense, after the first shock, of the feelings that seemed to have awakened inside of him. He didn’t understand himself. The way he was reacting, it almost scared him - that childish possessiveness, that jealousy. It didn’t _feel_ like him. When in his first run did he feel like he needed to be jealous of anyone…? And even in this timeline, he felt _happy_ that his friends became even closer to one another - and yes, to Goro - than they could ever be before. Perhaps he did feel a bit sad about Yusuke, but so what? He could still take Yusuke out to the park, or to the church or even to the museums. He could still be friends with everyone, and what’s more, he had a beautiful, caring, sexy boyfriend as an added bonus. No, Akira’s life in this run has only _gained_ compared to his last one.

_So why…_

The cafe was quiet and dark as they slid inside; with Makoto still acting restless, pacing around the place. Akira did what he knew would calm him down and went on to prepare coffee for all of them, and the repetitive familiarity of it also seemed to help.

As the feeling of deep, biting jealousy now ebbed away, he started to feel guilty. Right now, in this moment, in this day, they were all here for one reason - to help Futaba. A girl who was hiding in her room from the whole world, a girl so depressed and broken her biggest desire was to die. And he… what the hell was _he_ doing? First he delayed the whole operation because of a stupid cold; and now, when the time finally came to help her, he was only thinking about himself. And all of that, for what? Because he couldn’t be in spotlight anymore? Thinking like that, did he really deserve Futaba’s affection over Goro, who sincerely wanted to help her, no matter how painful it could end up being for him?

Akira stared down at his coffee cup, having slid the other one he made towards Makoto. The man looking up at him from the reflection in the black liquid… he wasn’t sure he liked that guy anymore. Not for the first time, Akira wondered what his former self would have done in a situation such as this. Back then… none of the Phantom Thieves would even think of getting stupidly jealous over being more or less useful, not until Futaba had appeared and Morgana became too anxious in his own abilities. Back then, they were a real team. They supported each other, and he supported all of them, in everything they did.

And that was what it meant to be the Leader for him. Now… perhaps with how Akira was behaving, Goro really was the one more deserving to be the leader. Akira certainly didn’t feel like he was one right now.

Looking up, he saw Makoto watch him and smiled, pushing all of his insecurity and jealousy down to the depths of his mind. He really, _really_ didn’t need this right now. Right now, what he needed…

“Don’t worry.” He said with an encouraging expression. “Goro may not look it most of the time, but he’s good at coaxing people to talk to him. Futaba will open up to him, I know it; and we’ll be able to start our infiltration soon. The first day of summer vacation, if everything goes according to plan.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Makoto smiled faintly, her hands curled around the cup. “Well… maybe a little bit. Thank you, Akira. It’s really hard _not_ to trust the both of you, with how much trust you have in one another.”

Akira smiled back at her; a lot more genuinely this time.

“More importantly, how are you? How’s Eiko doing?”

“Oh…” Makoto chuckled in embarrassment, waving her hand vaguely in the air. “She texts me about thrice a day with pictures of cute things she found, or some desserts she had… or talks about her boyfriend. We disagree on most things but… it’s quite refreshing. To have a friend like that.” She smiled again, though her smile had some plastic edge to it, one that made the raven think, irresistibly, about Goro. All of a sudden, Akira felt an understanding dawn on him.

“...she’s just a friend, then?” He asked, with as much gentleness as he could, and watched as Makoto cleared her throat and looked away. Inside, Akira was _stunned_. How did he not see before…?

“As I said, well… she has a boyfriend. I doubt she’d… ever… I mean, why are we talking about this? We should… oh, Goro-kun is coming back, we should open the door…”

As Goro entered the cafe, looking somewhat shaken and exhausted, but victorious, Akira felt better still. And in his mind, as he welcomed his boyfriend and took Morgana from his arms, plans were already forming on how to help his other friend. Now he thought of it, he never really… _really_ helped Makoto that much during his previous run. She certainly seemed interested in a lot of girls he _could have_ helped with back then, but was too blind to realize; well, now he knew, and was all set on making a plan.

 _I wonder how good Makoto is at shogi_ , the raven thought, pouring Goro a cup of coffee as his boyfriend summarized his meeting with Futaba for them. He’ll definitely need to try and find out.

 

* * *

 

“Morgana, do you think I’m selfish?”

The words slipped from Akira’s lips, unbidden.

He was laying in his bed, on the silent, dark attic. The storm was still rumbling overhead. Akira could hear the distinct roar of thunder and the pitter-patter of rain falling insistently against the roof of his little room.

They didn’t stay up for a long time after Goro had returned to Leblanc. He had told Makoto and him about how Futaba at first wouldn’t so much as talk to him, only text. How after a while, he’d managed to coax her into talking out loud, and how even then she refused to actually face him. He told them about the keyword he had learnt, and about Futaba’s plea for them to save her.

Throughout Goro’s explanation, Akira felt his feelings - especially his jealousy- come to light once more, and fought relentlessly to keep them down, to push them away from his mind. He could see just how much Futaba’s state had affected his boyfriend, and did his best to comfort him, placing his hand over Goro’s, his thumb gently stroking his palm. And yet, at the same time… the ugly beast that had reared its head somewhere deep from the pits of Akira’s stomach back then, when Futaba first texted Goro and not him, refused to return to its previous domain. Akira listened to everything Goro had experienced with the girl; and the voice inside him whispered, constantly, insistently: _mine, that was mine, that used to belong to_ **_me_ ** …

It bothered him. It made him guilty. And as Akira laid in his bed just a few hours later, these thoughts still refusing to leave his mind… he found he couldn’t keep them quiet anymore. If he could just talk about this, just a little bit; then perhaps he could work through his irrational, _stupid_ jealousy.

“...selfish?” Morgana repeated, standing up and marching further up Akira’s chest to look down at him with his piercing, cautious eyes. “How so…? I mean… I’m no expert, but the way I see it, I’d probably count you as one of the _least_ selfish people out there. Look at the fact you’re the leader of the Phantom Thieves alone! All you do is do things for others. What’s came over you, Akira?”

The raven smiled, reaching his hand up slowly to scratch behind Morgana’s ears. His friend scoffed at him in annoyance, but gave into the caress; purring and nuzzling his head after a moment. It made Akira feel slightly more at ease. Still…

“I’m just thinking… what happened today. How… well, first Futaba took Goro for the leader; then she’d talk to no one but him, I just…”

“ _Oh_ …” Morgana hummed, nodding in understanding. “You’re _jealous_ … I see.”

Akira made a face, and opened his mouth to protest - but found he couldn’t. Not really. Instead, he let out a sigh, laying back against his pillow, eyes closed.

“...it’s stupid, isn’t it?” he mumbled after a moment. “A little thing like that. I don’t know, but… tonight, it almost felt like I… didn’t really matter, you know? I’m not smart like Goro and Makoto are. I don’t have the access to information Goro has, and I can’t be strict and driven like Makoto. I was just… completely useless.”

“Hey.” Morgana frowned, patting Akira’s cheek with his paw. “You weren’t useless. Without you, neither of them would have even _thought_ of helping Futaba.”

“But that was Goro’s idea–”

“And who made him think of it? Akira…” Morgana sighed and sat up again, shaking his head at him. “It’s you who’s our connection to Boss. You who _started_ the Phantom Thieves. And… back then, in Kamoshida’s castle… it was you who let me out of that cell, wasn’t it?”

Akira looked up, blinking; and watched as Morgana smiled lightly, looking away from him.

“You’re saying you were useless… what am I supposed to say…? I snuck up into Futaba’s room with Goro, and yet I couldn’t find any clue, nothing the two of them haven’t already figured out. I was the one who was useless! Even lately… in Mementos and such, with you and the girls healing, and Goro, too… I don’t know. I just…”

For a little while, Akira stared at his friend, stunned. He remembered this; the feeling of vulnerability, of depression coming from Morgana; but he remembered it showing up later, being much more pronounced. Back then, when Futaba had joined, and their thoughtlessness resulted in Morgana feeling like he was no longer a part of their team.

In that other future… was Morgana feeling like this for so long, ever since they _started_ Futaba’s Palace…? Or even earlier still…?

How… how did Akira not notice it? Was he really so selfish, so focused on his own feelings that he didn’t notice his friend suffering, right under his nose…?

“...you know?” he murmured, sitting up a bit - careful not to throw Morgana off of himself. “When we’re alone… sometimes, me and Goro…”

“Ew ew ewwwww thanks I’ll pass on the details!”

“Hey!” Akira laughed, shaking his head and pushing Morgana gently off of his chest. “Let me _finish,_ and get your head out the gutter! What I meant to say was, we sometimes talk about… well, our past. You know Goro had his Persona for much longer than we did, right?”

Though he had been laughing before, together with Akira, Morgana turned serious now. His ears perked up and he sat up again, listening intently.

“Yes, he told us, didn’t he? Though, he said he didn’t use the Metaverse much before. That it was scary and all…”

“Exactly.” Akira smiled a sad little smile, leaning his back against the headboard so that they could talk more comfortably. “It’s been extremely scary for him. Sometimes… I’m almost afraid to ask how much. Even when I just try to imagine what he had to have gone through, alone, with no one to share it with him, no one to guide him, no one to tell him he wasn’t going insane… and no one to heal his injuries, or support him in battle… That he managed to stay sane and alive during all this time, it almost doesn’t seem possible. But Goro’s incredibly strong. I’m… not like him.”

Akira smiled sadly again, reaching out his hand to rest it against Morgana’s little shoulder.

“But it never felt as scary for me, you know? Because I had you. Without you… I’d have been dead already, and Ryuuji would have, too. Without you, we’d have ended up most likely killing Kamoshida instead of making him pay without hurting anyone. You were the one who made it possible for us to save Shiho… and you might say I created the Phantom Thieves, but really, they wouldn’t have existed without you.”

“Akira…” Morgana whispered, staring at him with wide eyes; and then, he looked away, blinking furiously.

“So… you’re not useless. And if anyone’s an irreplaceable part of the team, it’s you, Mona. We wouldn’t have all been here without you.”

“...I only wanted to use you, though.” Morgana said, quietly. “I… I want to be human again. This was all just so that I could…”

“And Ann wanted to get her revenge on Kamoshida. And me and Ryuuji wanted to avoid being expelled. All of us had our own reasons.” Akira smiled again, brighter this time; only to gasp when Morgana flopped forward, hiding his face in his chest.

“...jeez… and you’re saying _you’re_ useless… or selfish…” the cat mumbled, in a suspiciously choked up voice. “I always sensed there was something special about you, Akira. Wild card aside… seriously, who else could manage to change people’s hearts without even moving a finger in the Metaverse…?”

For a long while, Akira laid still, staring down at his friend; and then, Morgana looked up from his chest, curling up on top of him once more.

“You’re right that… Everyone in our team has their own, irreplaceable role. But, you know… that includes you. Goro’s smart and reliable and we’d be in deep trouble without him… but, I don’t know. I don’t think that makes _you_ any less important. More so, for bringing him into the team, really.”

Morgana smiled, pawing at his cheek again.

“In the end, it doesn’t matter, does it? Who does what in the team. As long as we’re together…”

“...I suppose you’re right.” Akira smiled back faintly. “As long as we’re together, all of us… as long as we’re all safe.”

_As long as I can keep Goro safe… keep everyone safe… what does it matter, who gets the spotlight…? As long as I can keep the watertight door from falling between us… who cares with whom Futaba wanted to talk the first time…?_

“...thanks, Morgana.”

“I didn’t really say anything.” The cat yawned, stretching on his chest. “Goodnight, Akira.”

“Goodnight.”

 

* * *

 

Though somehow, they ended up never discussing Akira’s worries - and their possible causes - the raven felt a lot better after the talk he had with Morgana. And the next day, he woke up smiling and feeling light, ready for the last day of school before summer holidays - and ready for the long-promised sleepover with his boyfriend, which marked the last step on their dating list.

It felt like ages passed since they had made it; giggling and blushing and unsure of every step. Akira smiled, thinking with fondness of how much had happened during these last few weeks since they started dating; how much had changed. He had a proper boyfriend now; one with whom he could share anything, one who trusted him and has been trusted unconditionally. One with whom Akira shyly thought of, perhaps one day, having a future together.

And one with whom, if he wasn’t entirely wrong, he was supposed to be sleeping in the same bed tonight for the first time. Perhaps they’ll even cuddle, falling asleep in one another’s arms. Or perhaps - Akira felt himself grin into his textbook just thinking of it - perhaps they will do more than just cuddle…

He couldn’t really help it. Compared to the flurry of negativity he kept trying to push down yesterday, today he felt so good and excited, he could hardly stop himself from going about his day with a dopey grin all over his face, going through all the possible scenarios and things they could do during the evening together.

Goro had texted him that from what he understands, ordering takeout is what the protocol dictates, and Akira promised he’ll pick something up on his way. His boyfriend also asked whether there was something Akira would like to do in the evening, and he was very tempted to simply write he wouldn’t mind if they made out for the entirety of it. As it were, Akira settled on writing that he’d pick up some movies for them to watch as well, and left it at that.

They could still make out during the movies, as he explained to an exceedingly exasperated Morgana.

Akira almost ran out of school that day, hurrying home to change into his casual clothes, drop Morgana there and grab his bag. He did all this at the speed of light and was running out again, waving to Sojiro’s request that they be safe.

Everything that separated him from his boyfriend - from the length of the train ride to the queue of people going out the gates at Shibuya - seemed to be going extremely slow. Akira kept twirling his hair around his fingers as he stood restlessly at the crossing, waiting for the crowd to move so that he’d be able to go pick their movies and their food before finally, _finally_ being able to run to his boyfriend’s house.

Admittedly, choosing the movies took a little bit longer than he was expecting. It was hard to decide what would be a good choice for a movie marathon with his boyfriend that would keep both of them moderately interested. In the end, Akira decided on getting one from every studio he knew Goro adored, and ended up with _The Lion King, Coco_ and _My Neighbour Totoro_ in his bag, grinning as he picked up a complementary order of fried noodles from the place nearby.

Despite the hold-up, Akira seemed to, once again, be early. Yusuke was the one to open the door for him, explaining that Goro had to carry some documents to work after school, but should be there shortly. Akira welcomed the little moment. He had decided yesterday, after all, that he should really be paying a lot more attention to his friends apart from Goro. Pulling Yusuke into a lengthy discussion of the upcoming art exhibition he’s been invited to partake in was a wonderful opportunity for that.

By the time Goro came home - breathless and flushed and looking absolutely _stunning_ in Akira’s eyes - Yusuke had been invited to watch some of the movies with them. It would do the two of them good, Akira reasoned. It would take away some of the tension and awkwardness from the initial part of their evening. Not to mention, the moment his friend found out they were watching Coco, of all things, he positively _begged_ to be allowed to stay. He even texted Ryuuji, at whose place he was supposed to spend the night, that he might be late.

Goro didn’t seem to mind, either, as he changed into some more casual clothes and joined them in the kitchen, raising an amused eyebrow at Akira’s change of plans. Tonight wasn’t a date, they both agreed. It was an opportunity for the two of them to relax and cuddle and, well… sleep in the same house, in the same room, perhaps in the same bed.

Giddy and feeling pleasant excitement run like electricity under his skin, Akira smiled and pulled Goro a little bit closer to himself, leaving a sweet little kiss on his lips.

“Welcome home, honey.” he whispered.

 

* * *

 

Akira found he could never confidently say he knew everything there was to know about Goro. It was a thing about the detective. Back then, in their first run, he had shown them a personality that was so artificial and yet with grains of his real emotions and traits thrown into the mix, Akira couldn’t really say he knew him. And now, after months of deep, meaningful conversations and them falling in love and starting to date, there were moments when he still found out little details about Goro that he never would have guessed were there.

Like that fact that, apart from being easily spooked by scary movies, Goro was also easily brought to tears by the emotional ones.

Akira waved goodbye to Yusuke and closed the door behind him, walking back to the kitchen and leaning against the counter. He watched, with an amused expression on his face, as Goro did the dishes, still sniffling quietly as he worked.

“...you know, it’s really adorable how much you ended up crying during that movie.” He said with a little smile, hearing a little clink of a plate that must have slipped from Goro’s hands.

“Shut up,” his boyfriend sniffled. “It’s not my fault _your_ heart is made of stone.”

“It was a cartoon, Goro.” Akira chuckled, nearing his boyfriend. Behind them, in the living room, the the radio was playing, and Akira found himself smiling at the sweet, gentle melody flowing out of it.

“He _sang her the song_ and she remembered her _dad_ , Akira.” Goro said in a voice that was already choked up all over again. Akira felt a surge of affection for him warming his chest, and he couldn’t stop himself anymore, slipping his arms around Goro’s waist, hugging him from behind.

“You’re adorable.”

“Shut up!” Goro scoffed, though he leaned into the hold. He only stiffened again when Akira smiled and started swaying with him to the gentle melody; and then pulled him back, away from the sink.

“W-what are you doing…?”

“Dancing with you.” Akira whispered, finding Goro’s wet, soapy hands and twirling him around.

“Come on.” Goro smiled, trying to push Akira off of himself; only to gasp when the raven pulled him to the centre of the room, grinning mischievously. “Akira… I need to finish washing up.”

“Leave it.” Akira shook his head.

“No… I… I can’t.” he mumbled, and then, when Akira looked at him in confusion, sighed. “...I don’t know how to dance.”

“It’s alright.” Akira laughed quietly, pulling Goro against his chest, hugging him gently. “I don’t know any fancy dances either, but I still want to dance with you. It’ll be okay, Goro. I’ll lead. Everyone knows how to dance. You just need to relax.”

The detective parted his lips to protest, but didn’t in the end; and Akira felt it was a good moment to kiss him. Slowly, his hands found Goro’s once more and guided them; one to his waist, the other up in the air, still held in Akira’s own.

“...are we going to waltz?” Goro let out a somewhat strained chuckle, and Akira smiled at him again.

“I just told you, I don’t know fancy dances… but I always wanted to dance in the arms of someone special.” The raven said, feeling a soft blush spread over his cheeks. Goro blinked at him at first, and then blushed as well, adjusting his position a little; and Akira smiled, pressing their foreheads together.

“So just… relax. And let me live out my fantasy for a little bit.”

“I might… not be as against dancing as I initially thought.” the detective mumbled back as they started to sway to the music, awkward and clumsy. They really weren’t the best dancers. With how stiff Goro was at first; with how much they tried not to step on one another’s toes and how epically they failed at something as easy as a twirl, getting all tangled up in each other’s arms. And yet, with every silly mistake and every moment of laughter between the two of them, it felt better. It felt sweeter and more intimate. Akira thought - and he almost shuddered in the kind of secret, almost shameful delight of it - that perhaps, one day, in the far-away future, he could be leading Goro in a much more special dance. He leaned in and kissed him again when he thought that, smiling against his boyfriend’s lips.

The song had ended, and Akira started to pull away; only to be surprised when Goro held him there, even pulling him closer. Without a word, their position changed; their arms around one another, Goro’s hands resting gently on Akira’s waist as they swayed in one spot, in their comfortable little world of warmth and happiness. After a moment, Goro leaned his head in, resting it against Akira’s shoulder, and for the second time that evening, Akira felt a rush of affection for his beautiful boyfriend.

_God… I really love you, don’t I?_

“Let’s just… do that for a little longer.” Goro mumbled after a moment, his eyes closed. “You know… I never danced before. I often pretended I know how, in front of the interviewers and so on… but I never learnt how to. I never thought dancing could be fun.”

“We did dance before, kind of.” Akira smiled, one hand moving up to stroke Goro’s hair. “After our first date. Remember? You sang for me…”

“I’m trying to forget.”

“So cold.” Akira chuckled, shaking his head lightly.

“Still.” Goro smiled, leaning back to kiss the raven’s lips. “My point stands. I like dancing with you.”

“We could just spend the whole night like this.” Akira purred, pulling Goro into another - this time, only half-failed - twirl. The brunet laughed, shaking his head at him.

“We have different plans for tonight.” he said, finally stepping away. “Go take a shower first, and I’ll make the bed… Erm…” Goro looked away, flushing slightly.

“What is it…?”

“I’m just… not sure if I have the protocol right. Sleepover… that stipulates, erm… one bed, or two…? We _do_ have a guest futon, if you’d like, so it’s–”

“I don’t think it’d count as a sleepover if we slept apart.” Akira whispered, leaving a little kiss on Goro’s lips. “So… if you don’t mind me there… I’d _love_ to.”

“Okay.” Goro whispered, and Akira adored how much he tried not to grin. “Go take a shower. I’ll take one after you.”

 

* * *

 

Goro’s bed wasn’t small. As Akira laid down on it, feeling his cheeks burn as he sneaked under the covers, he found he took over around half of the space available. If they really wanted to, they would have been able to sleep without as much as touching.

Somehow, Akira felt that even if they ended up doing just that, he would have felt alright with it. He already felt more happy and excited than he had in _weeks_. He and Goro were home alone; they were going to sleep together, with no interruptions, no sudden businesses to attend, no dark secrets standing in between them. And he, Akira, was allowed to lay in bed, on a pillow and under covers that smelt so like Goro, he almost felt as if his boyfriend was hugging him already.

Akira grinned to himself and covered his face in his hands, rolling on the bed, his head bumping lightly against the Totoro plushie he had won for Goro during their second date. He moved over and hugged it to his chest, smiling against the soft material of it.

God, he felt so stupid. Just like Goro had said - a teenager, head-over-heels in love. It was so nice to feel like that, though; to feel excited and giddy as he observed the door to the room, waiting for his boyfriend to walk in through it and join him in bed. To feel his heart pound in his chest as wild ideas that had nothing to do with Metaverse or their Phantom Thievery ran through his head. Ideas of where to take Goro for their next date; of that trip Ann and Shiho has been planning and Akira was more and more certain he’d love to bring Goro on. Of their future, after some vague, not-yet shaped happy ending. Of the perfect moment to tell Goro he loves him, for the very first time.

The door had opened, and Akira blinked as he watched a slender hand sneak in and click the lights off before Goro slid into the room, smiling at him sheepishly in the sudden darkness before sitting on the edge of the bed, groping for Akira’s hand. He had found it, and their fingers intertwined; and slowly, Goro laid down as well, only their hands touching as they faced one another. His boyfriend’s heartbeat was quickened, Akira noticed; or perhaps that was his own. It was hard to tell, in a magical moment like this. Still…

“...why’d you turn off the lights?” he asked quietly, moving a tiny bit closer, happy to look at Goro’s face as their laid there together, barely an inch away. The detective coughed lightly and shrugged; and that immediately made Akira suspicious.

“No reason. We’re supposed to sleep, aren’t we? And we can’t do that with the lights on, so I–”

“Uh-huh, I smell bullshit.” Akira scoffed; and then, an ugly thought entered his head and he jolted up, staring down at Goro.

“...what…?”

“He… he didn’t _do that_ again, did he? Goro, are you… you’re not _hurt_ , are you…?”

“No, no, I’m not! He didn’t, promise, I just…”

“Oh really, because you were acting kind of jumpy here just now and I–”

“That’s not it!” Goro groaned, pulling Akira down again and poking his chest; and even in the darkness the raven was fairly sure his boyfriend was blushing. Goro cleared his throat again, before sighing.

“...nt h’ve m’kup ‘n,” he mumbled, and Akira blinked in confusion.

“What was that…?”

“I said… I didn’t want you to see me when I don’t have makeup on.” Goro mumbled again, clearer now, though with an expression that made it clear it was physically painful for him to admit this. Akira was afraid his own expression didn’t help, because the next moment he got hit in the face with a pillow.

“Stop grinning!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Akira laughed, grabbing the pillow and pulling it out of Goro’s hands. God, he should have known. Goro was so cute. Hell, he was adorable…

 _I love you so much_.

“You’re not sorry at all!”

“Well okay, I’m not. And now I’m going to make you even more mad, because I’m just gonna–”

“Akira Kurusu, get your hand _off_ of that light switch, I’m _terrible_ without makeup, alright, just…”

 _Click_.

The room flooded with soft, subdued light coming from the nightstand lamp; and Goro groaned and tried to hide his face in the pillow, only to be stopped by an absolutely _awestruck_ Akira. The raven couldn’t really help it; he stared, and after a moment, Goro stopped struggling. He looked back at him instead, first in confusion - and then, clear embarrassment.

“...stop staring, I know I look…”

“ _Beautiful._ ” Akira breathed, reaching his hand out to cup Goro’s cheek. God, he… Goro was wearing makeup all this time? Every time they met before? Even on the damn climbing wall…? This was just unfair…

“...right.” the brunet scoffed, blushing. Akira shook his head.

“You have _freckles_. I can’t believe you’ve been hiding them from me all this time. I feel cheated.”

“W-why would you… I _hate_ my freckles!”

“They’re _adorable_ . I _love_ them, Goro.” Akira smiled, leaning in. He kissed Goro’s cheeks softly; his nose, his forehead, then his cheeks again. God, these freckles; they looked adorable on the brunet’s soft, sun-kissed skin, and Akira was fully committed to kissing each and every one of them.

Akira never before really found himself in a situation where his mouth just couldn’t stop running, but now, he couldn’t stop himself. He kept showering his boyfriend in praise in between the kisses; and perhaps it was good Goro finally had enough of that and pulled him into a hard, deep kiss just to shut him up.

They had settled down once they parted; though Akira kept his hand up, stroking Goro’s features with his thumb. His boyfriend looked at him with that adorable, shy look in his eyes; as if he was checking, for sure, once more, if Akira was serious, if he wasn’t lying to him. It baffled the raven sometimes - how little Goro could think of himself.

“...you have shit taste.” the brunet mumbled, clearing his throat again and reaching for the light switch, turning the room dark once more. Akira smiled and shook his head.

“No, I don’t. I have an exquisite taste. You just don’t see how beautiful you are, but that’s fine. I’ll make you see it, eventually.”

“Walking cliche.”

“You insult me when I insist on complimenting you, and I just want you to know I love that tsundere part of your character.”

“Oh _shut up_!”

Finally, Goro laughed; pushing a little on Akira’s shoulder, shoving at him playfully. The raven delighted in that laughter. All of a sudden, he felt such immense satisfaction. In a world where Goro Akechi could lay in bed with him, blush from being kissed by him, giggle and laugh with him like this… in a world like that, how could anything bad ever happen?

 _I love you_.

Akira parted his lips, but the words didn’t come out. _Not yet_ , he thought, instead opting for smiling, and settling back down on the bed. No, he’d rush into it if he said it now. It had to be a special moment; a perfect one. Their hands found one another again, and he saw Goro settle down as well, smiling and flushed and looking happy and like a satisfied cat.

“...we should sleep.” the brunet murmured, and Akira nodded, closing his eyes obediently. As if waiting for his sight to disappear, all of his senses seemed to go into an overdrive at once, as he has been enveloped in Goro’s scent, the sound of him breathing, the warmth of his skin…

It took them all of ten minutes to open their eyes again. Goro opened his first; Akira saw him look away guiltily, as if embarrassed he has been watching him sleep.

Ha, sleep. As if Akira could really fall asleep with this beautiful man in his bed. God, they were really here, weren’t they..? Sleeping in the same bed… perhaps they could even…

“Hey… Goro?” Akira murmured, scooting just a little bit closer; meeting garnet eyes that met his with a wide, questioning look. He smiled, squeezing Goro’s hand in his own.

“Do you think… It _is_ a bit of a small bed. Do you think we could… be more comfortable if we, uh… cuddled…?” he murmured, feeling his cheeks grow red. Goro bit his lip, and Akira saw he tried to stop himself from grinning too much.

“Y-yes. I think that would… that would be a lot more comfortable, wouldn’t it?” he breathed softly.

“Mhm.” Akira agreed, grinning himself. “And… I also _really_ want to.”

It took a bit of rearranging of their positions; but finally, Akira had Goro wrapped snugly in his arms, the brunet’s back pressing against his chest. He could feel their hearts beating together; both of them quick, both of them giddy and excited. Akira smiled and pulled the duvet a bit more over them, burying his face in Goro’s soft hair, loving the fact he was allowed to do this. He could feel Goro’s hands come up, covering his own on the brunet’s chest.

“...do you think we’ll be able to fall asleep like that?” Akira whispered, and he heard Goro’s smile in his voice as he answered.

“We should at least try, shouldn’t we?”

“You’re right.” the raven hummed and - for the second time that night - closed his eyes. “Goodnight, Goro.”

“Goodnight, um…” Goro hesitated, and then…

“G-goodnight, honey.”


	35. The Tomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration of Futaba's Palace begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 2000 KUDOS~~!!!!! I am so happy, you have no idea ;; Thank you so much for taking interest in this story, for reading it and continuing to support it! You're the best!
> 
> Also, this chapters features the scenes requested by last two winners of the 1,5k kudos giveaway: Goro's morning routine and the boys wearing each other's clothes :) Thank you very much for the cute ideas!

Goro’s room was on the east side of the apartment complex, and Akira had learnt it the hard way, getting sun right in his eyes at ridiculously early hours of the morning.

Perhaps that was the whole mystery to why Goro was always up so early and with seemingly so little effort. Akira could see no real shutters in the windows to block out the sun as he groaned quietly and tried to turn around on the bed, away from the light. He stilled, though, when the moment he moved, someone else moved next to him, keeping him in place.

Akira opened his eyes, suddenly very much awake, and looked around.

It was a beautiful, early morning. The whole flat seemed to be quiet and still, with nothing disrupting the pleasant silence. The air, not yet heated by the sun, felt pleasantly crisp as it wafted through the barely-cracked windows.

Yes, it was a perfect morning; and on the bed beside Akira, Goro Akechi laid curled up against him, his naked skin glowing in the sunlight.

For a long time, all Akira could do was stare. There was no rush; and moreover, he felt like he would be a fool not to take this opportunity. Goro was beautiful; god, he was the most beautiful sight Akira has seen, ever, in this timeline or the other. In his sleep, his boyfriend curled up against Akira’s chest, laying his head on it, his soft hair an epic mess. Every single freckle that sprinkled his face, neck and shoulders looked like a bit of honey for Akira to kiss away. He was sleeping peacefully, lips slightly parted, but stretched in the softest of smiles.

Akira felt positive he would have killed to keep that smile on there, forever.

Now he was awake, he started to notice different things about their position, too. Like how their whole bodies pressed together, skin against skin, barely an inch between them. How they snuggled under the same duvet. How Goro’s arms wrapped around him securely, and how his own arm felt numb from both of them laying on it for most of the night. Akira didn’t really care. Numbness was _definitely_ worth this.

Not able to stop himself for any longer, the raven leaned in and pressed his lips against that delicate smile. He felt Goro stir, and once he pulled away, he saw these garnet eyes blink open and look at him sleepily.

The smile Goro gave him then… Akira didn’t think he’d ever be able to beat _that_ smile.

“Good morning, beautiful,” He whispered, shifting a bit on the bed, pulling Goro a tiny bit closer - just because he could. The brunet smiled even brighter in response. Akira saw that, much like himself, he was just taking in everything - their position, their closeness, the happiness that surrounded them like the warm, morning light.

“Good morning.” Goro purred back. “What time is it…? Hey, were you watching me sleep?”

“Just for a moment. It proved impossible to watch you without kissing you.” Akira smiled, reaching lazily for his phone; only to be stopped with a deep, slow and lazy kiss.

“...I actually don’t care what time it is.” Goro whispered once they parted, rolling them over on the bed so that he ended up on top. Akira grinned up cheekily, his hands running up his boyfriend’s sides, taking in the whole new sight he was. Goro chuckled and leaned down, their lips touching briefly again…

...only for one of their phones to go off in a series of angry rumbles against the counter. Goro sighed, resting his forehead briefly against Akira’s shoulder before reaching for it - it was his phone that made all the ruckus - and answering it with a frown.

“Ann, this better be _really_ import– what?” Goro straightened up, and the hands Akira allowed to wander over his boyfriend’s perfect body stilled in their tracks. “Yes, he’s with me… no, we both turned our phones on silent. Why are– what? Medjed did… but I told you it’s not a prob– yes I _know_ , but…”

Akira sighed, plopping his head back against the pillow as he tuned out of Goro’s talk with Ann. Ah, so it would be today, he thought briefly, that Medjed has declared its war on the Phantom Thieves. Just like Goro, he wasn’t bothered; but then, it wasn’t so strange that the rest of their team would become uneasy.

The call ended, and he was given a long, slow kiss once again; but the moment Akira’s hands started to wander again, Goro laughed and gently slapped them off.

“No time. We need to get ready to be respectable gentlemen thieves, Akira.” He purred, rolling off the bed. Akira groaned.

“Gentlemen thieves work at _night_. It’s butts o’clock in the morning.” He grumbled. Goro laughed at him.

“It’s five, for your information, and I’m half-convinced Ann hasn’t slept tonight, for her to be up so early. Anyway… I’m going to take a shower, I really need it,” he said, and, after a thoughtful moment…

“...would me adding the fact that my shower stall is big enough for two be enough to get you off the bed…?”

Akira shrugged; he’s been up and standing next to his boyfriend before he even finished his sentence, which made Goro laugh all the more as they made their way to the shower, exchanging little, playful shoves and silly glances along the way.

“You’re right, of course.” Akira purred, kissing his boyfriend’s cheek. “We should be up and ready as soon as possible, there’s no time to waste.”

 

* * *

 

The whole morning, it was as if Akira has been finally allowed to discover exactly how and why Goro usually woke up so damn early. Having found out _how_ , the raven now understood _why_ his boyfriend always needed to be up at the crack of dawn.

Goro had a _ridiculous_ morning routine.

Alright, so Akira understood the principles behind everything his boyfriend was doing. It started with the damn shower, or how Goro refused to go in before he washed his face briefly with lukewarm water.

Then, he refused to get the water temperature up to anything that could actually warm you up. Apparently it dried up the skin or whatever - Akira wasn’t sure, but he _did_ know his own skin ended up covered in goosebumps rather than drying.

To be fair, Akira wasn’t really the… grooming type. A good soak in the bathhouse, sure - but apart from that, he was more of the… lucky if showers daily, washes with the all-in-one-shampoo-and-body-soap, cheapest thing he could find type of person.

Goro, now. Goro had _products_. Akira wasn’t sure what was the beautifully-smelling goo his boyfriend insisted on putting on his head a few times over, every time from different bottle, but it was definitely not just body soap. Or even just shampoo.

And then, it still wasn’t over, because Goro had a special soap just for his _face_ , and then a scrub, and then, once they got out and dried themselves off, there were an array of creams and masks and stuff for his face, for his neck and shoulders, for his hair…

Akira watched in amazement, and obediently sat down when Goro told him to. He actually found himself enjoying the experience, smiling throughout having all of _that_ spread over his face and hair, too. It felt nice, for his boyfriend to do that for him, massaging his face with just his fingertips to get that special-for-something cream nice and even all over.

But then Goro pulled out his makeup set and Akira started to whine.

“Do you _have to_ …?”

“Akira, I am not going out into the world without makeup on. And I still need to straighten my hair, so you can stop pretending you didn’t hide that straightener behind yourself and give it back to me.”

“But I want to see your freckles… And your hair is cute when it curls a bit like that.”

“They’re _ugly_ and it’s _not cute_.”

“They’re _beautiful_.”

“Your opinion doesn’t count, you’re my boyfriend.”

“Doesn’t it mean my opinion should count the most?”

Finally, Akira had to relent; but only once Goro sighed and conceded that he _will_ consider, maybe, possibly, not putting makeup on sometimes when it will be just the two of them again. And perhaps he could skip the straightener a few times when they’re just lounging about, too.

 _Maybe_.

Akira decided he will take it.

They had promised to make breakfast together, but even so, Akira decided to start working on preparations while Goro kept himself busy in the bathroom. Clean, fresh and feeling like he had a lot of _stuff_ all over his face, Akira skipped to Goro’s bedroom and looked for his bag, ready to dress. And then, his eyes fell on Goro’s wardrobe; and he felt himself grin.

Ten minutes later, Goro joined him in the kitchen; his boyfriend’s slim arms wrapping around Akira’s waist as he finished washing up after last night and went on to wash and peel the vegetables they were going to need for their breakfast. Goro’s shirt and jeans felt a little off on his figure, but not enough for him to change into something else. Especially not when he felt Goro’s lips against his nape and saw a suspiciously familiar sleeve of his own shirt on the arm that was hugging him.

“Nice outfit you’ve put together, Akira.” He heard Goro purr behind him. The raven felt himself grin.

“Mhm, I couldn’t find any sweatervest that would fit me. I have no idea how you are wearing them in this weather and not boiling from the inside.”

“You _like_ my sweatervests.” Goro huffed, pulling away and moving next to Akira, helping him with their breakfast. There was a little smile on his face even as they continued their banter. As he looked to the side at him, Akira had to fight the urge to kiss that smile.

“I like everything you wear.” Akira grinned. “No matter how ugly it is.”

“They’re _not_ ugly.”

“I said I like them! They give you the cute nerd vibe.”

“Do you want to get smacked?”

“I’m serious.” Akira laughed, dodging a half-hearted smack. “They make me want to shove you into a locker.”

“...and how is that a good thing?”

“Because they also make me want to get in the locker with you and make out.”

For a moment, Goro seemed extremely interested in the bread he was cutting the crust off of in order to make them some neat and tidy sandwiches. His ears were burning, and Akira almost cut off his finger because he was staring so much.

“Be careful!” The brunet laughed, shaking his head and taking the knife away from Akira. “...it’d need to be a big locker.”

“Oh, I don’t know. The tighter the fit, the merrier, right?”

“You’re an idiot.” Goro let out something that was probably supposed to be an exasperated sigh, but to Akira, it sounded like his boyfriend tried hard not to laugh again. For a moment, they both worked together in silence. Once their breakfast was done they sat on the couch, snuggled close with a cup of coffee each. Akira leaned in, kissing his boyfriend softly and reaching for one of the sandwiches, humming thoughtfully.

“So… I know we’re supposed to be starting our investigation today,” He started, between thoughtful chews. “But I actually have another business to discuss with you?”

“Oh?” Goro smiled, pulling his feet on the couch with himself.

“Ann and Shiho are planning a trip together during the summer holidays… they’re thinking like, onsen maybe? I thought… if you had a weekend free sometime…” Akira swallowed, staring into his cup. “We could… go with them?”

For a moment, Goro stared at him in surprise; and then grinned, his cheeks dusted pink.

“Hm… I don’t think I can do it during summer holidays, but… actually…” he murmured, and Akira became lost in the absolutely beautiful way in which Goro’s ears were now steadily growing red.

“Actually?” He prompted, and Goro cleared his throat before looking at him again.

“I was actually thinking we could go for a trip on… well. September 17th. You have your birthday two days before, so… we could have a little party then, and… I already cleared my schedule for that weekend, so if you wanted to…”

Akira stared at him, dumbfounded; and then felt his eyes water and began to blink rapidly, deciding that _no_ , he was _not_ going to start fucking _crying_.

“...if you’d rather stay in, that’s fine, too… I just thought…” Goro continued to mumble, and so Akira felt he was justified in shutting him up with a kiss.

 _I love you_.

“A weekend trip, just the two of us?” He whispered once they parted. “That’s going to be the best birthday present I could ever ask for.”

 

* * *

 

They spent the rest of the morning cuddling and discussing their trip - and perhaps it was a good thing they did, seeing what awaited them that day. Even as they were leaving Goro’s apartment and on their way to Leblanc, Akira felt himself get nervous.

Futaba’s Palace was going to be difficult. There were no two ways about it. Not just because the place was _insane_ even from what he had remembered, with traps, Shadows and puzzles waiting for them on every step of the way. No, he was fairly confident with _that_ they will all be able to manage, especially since he remembered a lot of answers to a lot of puzzles.

No, what Akira was really, truly worried about was Goro.

He could just imagine, as he observed his boyfriend close his eyes and lean his head slightly back during their ride on the train, what hell this Palace was going to be to him. Everything in it - every jeering laugh, every hurtful echo of things being yelled at Futaba would have been, more or less directly, caused by _him_. And once all of their team starts to talk about this; as all of their anger at whoever caused Futaba this much suffering comes up, how was Goro going to react? Knowing he will need to own up to being the cause of all that… how is he going to hold up?

Still, Akira said nothing the whole way, only holding his boyfriend’s hand and hoping against hope that his support will be enough to get them through this. Some part of him felt guilt even for that. Faced with Futaba’s agony, pain so intense it made the girl wish for death, how could he focus on how his boyfriend was going to feel while encountering it? And yet, he has already experienced Futaba’s pain. He had already helped her once and saw her rehabilitated and happy.

Goro’s pain was new and so far, unconquered.

For all Akira’s worry though, for now at least Goro seemed to be doing fairly well. He kept quiet as they left the train and made their way to Leblanc, and continued to say nothing as Akira caught Morgana, who leaped at them the moment they got back in welcome, and started to prepare himself for the infiltration. Then again, it wasn’t much of a preparation; all Akira had to do was to grab all their gear and spare medicine, along with few bottles of water from the fridge downstairs. The raven remembered their first dip into Futaba’s Palace from that other timeline; he was not going in without some water this time.

They met up in Leblanc with the rest of the Thieves, all of them ready for battle, though Akira would describe the overall mood as cautiously optimistic. Ryuuji grinned lightly as they sat around in the attic, keeping up a friendly banter with Morgana; Yusuke and Makoto discussed the best way to go into this particular Palace, and Ann even found the time to interrogate him and Goro about their sleepover the night prior and comment on them wearing one another’s clothes. There was tension there, under the pleasant banter and bickering, though, and they all could feel it. Finally, Goro’s phone buzzed with an incoming message, and the brunet sighed, standing up and nodding at all of them.

“I explained to Futaba-chan that it will be best if we start our task in as close proximity to her as possible; she just sent me a message saying she’s more or less ready for us. I do believe Boss will be busy in the cafe for a while longer, and even if we get discovered, Futaba-chan promised to say she invited us there, which she did. Are we all ready to go?”

They were, standing up and heading for the stairs with varying degrees of excitement and tension. Goro and Akira were the last two to leave, and as they did, Akira caught Goro’s hand in his own once more.

“You sure you want to do this?” He whispered, with all the gentleness he could muster. Goro smiled at him faintly.

“I’m sure.”

 

* * *

 

The desert they had landed on was just as stifling-hot and void of anything to focus their eyes on as Akira had remembered it; and the few additional bottles of water he brought with him provided only slight relief. As they plowed their way through the bright, shimmering sand, Akira felt his hair cling to his forehead with sweat. His glasses slid slowly down his nose and he had to take them off and wipe them dry again before repositioning them on his face once more.

The movement made Goro grumble in discontent. His boyfriend has slumped his head against his shoulder, taking small sips of the water bottle he claimed as his own, rationing it as if he expected to die of thirst in this van. Akira couldn’t help but smile down at him, albeit tiredly.

“Ugh, you call _that_ AC?” Ryuuji grumbled, laying on one of the backseats and prodding at Morgana’s wall with his foot. Their friend - and currently, their only mode of transport - meowed indignantly and started to tell him off. Akira smiled to himself. He’ll take bickering over Ryuuji trying to peak into Ann’s bra anytime.

“Quit it, he’s doing his best.” He mumbled anyway, shoving lightly at Ryuuji’s arm, remembering Morgana’s anxiety. The blond sighed and flopped back again.

“I know man, I know… I don’t fancy running around in this heat either, just… shit, it’s really hot.” He grumbled quietly.

Akira couldn’t help but agree. Gods, he really wanted to get this over and done with already…

By the time they arrived at the pyramid, all of them were hot, tired and sweaty, their ‘cautious optimism’ exchanged by exasperation. It was _sweltering_ and bright and dusty, the desert sand clinging to their clothes and skin, getting in their shoes, falling in their eyes every time the wind blew, squeaking unpleasantly between their teeth. They all whined and rushed to stand in the shade. Only Goro stood there, silent and observant, taking it all in. And somehow, it only took him remarking in a quiet voice that this has to be how Futaba sees the world; herself locked in a tomb and the rest of it an inhospitable desert, that made everyone shut up about their own discomfort. Akira sighed, shaking some of the sand off and looking up the stone staircase.

“In any case… no point standing here talking. Let’s go inside.” He said.

The interior of the pyramid brought cool air and respite from the bright hell of the desert; and yet, with every silent staircase they scaled, Akira could sense all of his friends become more and more distraught. They were still in their regular clothes, and there were no Shadows. Morgana made it clear they were already nearing the Treasure. They were becoming hopeful, but in this wary, distrustful way that made it all feel even more like a trap.

And then, there was Futaba’s Shadow waiting for them; silent and watching as they neared her, and as Ryuuji spoke to her, demanding to know where the Treasure was. Akira prepared himself to run; and then, the voices resounded.

He was not prepared for it; not prepared at all. Goro grabbed onto his arm, squeezing almost painfully as all colour drained from his face, and Futaba’s Shadow sunk to the ground, covering her ears from the cruel jeers that called her a murderer, a curse. Ann gasped somewhere from beside him, but Akira could hardly hear her; and then…

“...That’s right. I did it.” Futaba’s Shadow said, her yellow eyes wide and haunting.

“What..?” Ryuuji whispered, staring at her. Goro’s fingers bit painfully into Akira’s arm, and he could do nothing to comfort his lover, nothing to help.

“I am the one who killed my mother.” Futaba said, still staring at them hauntingly. Goro jerked his head, his lips parting, trying to speak…

“No…”

The angry shriek of the monster interrupted him, made all of them stare up.

“...what the hell was that?” Ryuuji whispered, only to look at Shadow Futaba’s fading form.

“My mother exists here.” The girl smiled at them with no ounce of happiness in that smile. “I will remain here. I will do so until I die.”

Their clothes changed, and Futaba disappeared. Goro reached out with his free hand, as if trying to catch her fleeting Shadow; but there was nothing there, nothing…

“What the actual hell…” Ryuuji started, only to be interrupted as a very big and very heavy boulder dropped down, ready to squash them. As he yanked Goro out after himself and started to run, Akira thought, wearily, that there were definitely some parts of his ‘second run’ experience he didn’t care to relive at all.

 

* * *

 

“We’re safe… that was too close.”

Makoto was still wheezing as she said that. They all were; standing in various degrees of exhaustion by the wall that had shielded them from the boulder. Goro still looked like a ghost, and still grasped at Akira’s arm, though not as tightly anymore. The raven wondered whether his boyfriend was even aware he was holding onto him, or whether it was simply some subconscious bid for support on his side.

“Now what?” Ann gasped, looking behind them. Akira sighed, looking tiredly at the heavily locked door that now blocked their way. Oh, he was not looking forward to this. This whole Palace was such a pain, and now, with Goro reacting this strongly to just the start of it, he was not looking forward to it in the slightest. God, for a day that started so beautifully… how could it feel so bad by the end of it?

“Even if we wanted to ask Futaba what’s going on, it seems the door is shut.” Yusuke sighed. Morgana nodded and looked up at Akira, shaking his head.

“I think our best option is to regroup for now.”

“No!” Goro’s voice was strained, sudden and unexpected. Akira looked at him; watched how he tried his best to stay calm and explain. “We can’t just… we only just came. We need to at least try and infiltrate. There must be some way… surely…”

“There is no way through this door, Goro.” Akira said quietly, taking the hand that was clasped on his arm and holding it gently. The brunet looked up at him, eyes searching, almost desperate; and Akira hated to see them grow dimmer as he found no reassurance on Akira’s face.

“But…”

“We’ll come back. Tomorrow, if everyone is free. For now, though… let’s get out of here. We need to give ourselves some time.”


	36. When Mother Was There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infiltration of Futaba's Palace begins in earnest, and Akira receives a nightly visitor once more.

The air was humid and stifling hot, clinging to their bodies as they fell out of the Metaverse, tumbling down onto the pavement in front of Boss’s house. The clouds, heavy with rain, covered the sky. It felt as if they hung low, right over their heads, adding to the stuffy, oppressing feeling the weather brought upon all of them.

Then again, Akira thought as he helped Makoto up onto her feet and watched Goro’s pale face and dejected expression, perhaps they didn’t need the weather to add to their moods.

“...what the _hell_ was that, man…” Ryuuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Akira watched him look around their group. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking that for someone as positive as Ryuuji, seeing all of them so frustrated and uneasy must have been quite an alarming sight. He shrugged lightly, shaking his head at his friend.

“I know what you mean, Ryuuji…” Ann sighed, straightening herself up and pulling out her phone. She scrolled through her messages and flashed Akira a little smile before looking back at all of them.

“I need to get going, Shiho’s getting worried… we’re meeting tomorrow, correct?”

“Tomorrow at the same place, at the same time. With all of us having summer vacation now, at least meeting up together will be that much easier… You don’t have work tomorrow, do you, Goro-kun?” Makoto asked, though as she did ask the question and all their eyes turned to Goro, Akira’s anxiety returned full force. It had disappeared for just a moment there, and he was hardly glad to see it back.

“I’m free. I promised I will keep my schedule relatively free, haven’t I?” Goro replied, with a smile that was more plastic than Akira would like to see it. Morgana yawned, jumping into his arms and curling up there.

“Great. Let’s infiltrate tomorrow then… and all of you, get good sleep, alright?” He yawned again, nudging Akira’s arm.

“Are you alright?” Yusuke said, walking up to Goro as Ann and Ryuuji started to head for the station. Goro hesitated, looking like he wanted to follow them; and Akira reached out, taking his boyfriend’s hand in his own. He was gentle, but firm enough that the message was clear - and from the way his boyfriend’s shoulders slumped, Akira knew Goro resigned himself to staying behind with him.

“I’m fine. I’m just tired.” The brunet mumbled, looking at Yusuke; who hesitated for a bit, before stepping back and nodding.

“Very well. I shall leave him in your capable hands, Akira.”

Well, screw how serious the situation was right now, Akira thought. As they watched Yusuke walk down towards the station as well, both him and Goro were still blushing furiously and finishing up their awkward coughing.

“God, I really have to wonder if Yusuke realizes what it sounds like, what he’s saying.” Makoto laughed quietly, shaking her head beside them. She smiled at Akira and reached her arms out, gently taking Morgana out of them. He was already asleep, and Akira couldn’t blame him; not after his friend drove them all the way through that desert just now.

“I wanted to have a word with you, Akira… but it can wait. I’ll take Morgana back to Leblanc on my way, alright?” She said, looking at Goro with worried eyes. “Take care, you two.”

Akira was glad his friend could read the mood enough to offer him this. Goro didn’t want to stay alone with him right now, he could see it. Once they were alone, he could finally see Goro allow his mask to slip. The brunet’s shoulders hunched and his head drooped down, but he remained silent.

“Are you _really_ alright?” Akira asked quietly.

“...no.” Goro murmured in reply. From under his bangs, Akira couldn’t decide what his boyfriend’s eyes showed; but he could see his lips stretch in a bitter smile. “It’s… pretty rich, coming from me, isn’t it? I’m the one who caused all this. But it’s… _terrible_. Worse than I thought. And it’s all my fault…”

“It’s not all your fault.” Akira said quietly, moving a bit closer. He couldn’t believe today was the same day they woke up in bed together; the same day that started with Goro’s smile and kisses and hugs. That just few hours ago, they planned a trip together for his birthday. It felt like weeks had passed…

“Will you _stop_ trying to excuse what I’ve done?” Goro snapped, and Akira took a step back, surprised by the harshness in his boyfriend’s voice. His hand relaxed its grip, and he realized Goro wasn’t holding on; their joined hands slipped apart once Akira stopped trying to keep them together.

“I just…” He stammered, staring at Goro. “I mean… you’re not the one who came up with the idea, or orchestrated the whole thing. You’re also not the one who distorted her cognition this way. You just–”

“I _just_ killed her mother.” Goro snarled quietly, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. “ _Just_ made an innocent girl want to die for _my_ crime. _Just_.”

“Goro…”

“I’m sorry.” Goro sighed, and the position he was in - all jagged edges and tension - slumped into something softer, more vulnerable. Akira stepped closer to him, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and hugging him tightly; and as he felt Goro lean into his touch, he knew they could get through this.

“...are you sure you can do this?” Akira whispered, kissing Goro’s temple. He felt him nod, immediately.

“I have to. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive myself for what I’ve done, but… I’d definitely _not_ forgive myself if I stopped now.”

 

* * *

 

Makoto was gone by the time Akira came back home after walking Goro back to the station. Sojiro only nodded at him from behind the counter, saying she had dropped Morgana off and left. The cat was still asleep as the raven walked up the stairs to his attic and changed into more comfortable clothes, mechanically going through all their supplies and gear once again, just to make sure they were ready for tomorrow. He got a message from Goro once his boyfriend got home, and wished, all of a sudden, he had him here. As the evening came and Morgana woke up, chatting with him briefly before stretching and walking out in pursuit of his own business, Akira slipped down onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, before picking up his phone.

 

 **Akira:** I miss you

 **Goro:**...you were faster than me by all of three seconds

 **Goro:** just got into bed?

 **Akira:** mhm

 **Goro:** I miss you, too

 **Akira:** hey Goro?

 **Goro:** what is it?

 **Akira:** is it childish of me that… i feel scared?

 **Akira:** everything’s happening so fast

 **Akira:** and I know we’ll be okay I just

 **Akira:** there are so many things that will change and pick up and start after this infiltration

 **Akira:** I feel like all of a sudden the whole world started to go so fast and I can’t keep up

 **Goro:**...I understand

 **Goro:** honestly… I’m scared, too

 **Goro:** I don’t want to… go on

 **Goro:** this morning, when you woke me up… I think I’ve never been happier in my life

 **Goro:** I wish I could have stopped that moment and just… never leave

 **Goro:** and now it feels…

 **Akira:** it feels like it’s over, isn’t it?

 **Goro:** yes…

 **Akira:** I wish I could hug you right now

 **Goro:** I wish that, too

 **Goro:** goodnight, Akira

 **Akira:** goodnight

 

With his thumbs hovering above the keyboard, Akira hesitated, and then started to type again.

 _I love you_.

He hesitated again; and then, instead of the send button, hit the backspace one; and started to type once more.

 

 **Akira:** sweet dreams. I’ll hug you all you want tomorrow, okay?

 **Goro:** it’s a promise :)

 

* * *

 

Akira wasn’t sure what was worse: having to go through all the damn obstacles Futaba’s Palace threw in their way, with its trap doors opening under their feet, quicksands trying to suck them in and giant boulders trying to crush them, or the fact he had to watch Goro becoming more and more distressed the further in they went.

At first, it wasn’t even that bad. Fighting shadows and fulfilling Futaba’s request to get back the stolen map felt harmless, just like every Palace infiltration they had done today. And no matter how frustrating it was, clawing their way to find another exit after the last one became impossible to use due to a giant trapdoor opening right under their feet, that gave them no problems whatsoever either.

In all seriousness, Akira actually enjoyed himself when Goro turned into a little mouse during one of the tougher fights and had to spend some ten minutes afterwards riding on top of Akira’s head and squeaking angrily before the status effect wore off and he got turned back into a human.

The first door unlocking was where it all went wrong. Seeing the giant mural of Futaba receiving the fake suicide note of her mother’s fell down on all of them like a sudden punch to the face, and no one took it worse than Goro. Even Akira, who knew - or at least thought he knew - what his boyfriend was going through was surprised at how badly he reacted to hearing the distorted echoes. How he turned pale and shuddered, badly enough Morgana became worried there were some after-effects after the hit Goro received in their last fight and Yusuke fretted so much over him it finally made Goro snap and tell all of them to back off.

It became even worse after that. Every time they heard the voices, every time they met Futaba’s Shadow along the way, it felt like watching Goro get more and more hurt. All of them saw this now; though from the looks the other Phantom Thieves exchanged between themselves, Akira knew they only saw that as Goro being more involved in the case than they were, nothing more. Akira himself felt confused. What his boyfriend was experiencing didn’t seem like just guilt; it felt deeper, more painful than simple regret. Even apart from how he reacted, Goro seemed impatient and losing his focus. During fights, he became downright reckless. It had to be really bad, for _Ryuuji_ , of all people, to drag the brunet away from a trap he had almost walked into and berate him for being too impatient and risking getting himself hurt.

By the time they fought their way to the second painting; the one with Wakaba jumping in front of a car; Akira knew to expect bad things, and he wasn’t _entirely_ wrong; though Goro’s reaction seemed much more contained this time. He at least _acted_ like it didn’t bother him a lot in front of others.

Akira wasn’t sure if this was necessarily a good thing.

The rest of the Palace felt nerve-wracking because of that. Akira saw Goro tense up every time they heard the voices, and he remained reckless and impatient enough that Akira had to finally delegate him off the main party. It was the first time Goro had directly argued against his order, and the first time the rest of the Phantom Thieves had to support Akira with their voices to get him to move back.

In the third, and thankfully last chamber, the one with the mural of Futaba clinging to Wakaba’s shirt, Goro had stayed behind even after everyone else had moved on. Akira wished he could reassure him. This was the last one, he wanted to say. Now all they needed to do was secure the final route to the Treasure; they were almost there.

“Crow?” He said quietly, watching as Goro pushed himself off the wall and walked past him. It could have been just lightning, but for a second, Akira was sure he saw tears in his boyfriend’s eyes.

“I’m _fine_.” He said, jumping off the ledge and towards the last door; the one they had to get Futaba herself to unlock.

Akira sighed and jumped after him. He didn’t believe him for a second.

 

* * *

 

It was almost a mirror of their last exit from Futaba’s Palace. They fell out into the rain for a change, and Goro once again looked like he’d love to just quietly slip away. However this this time, it wasn’t just Akira who seemed intent on stopping him.

“Goro-kun, would you mind explaining what was the matter today?” Makoto said, almost as fast as all of them got back onto their feet and dusted themselves off. Goro stared at her, as if he didn’t understand her question; and yet, almost as if he could see him pull it on, Akira realized he was wearing another mask.

“...I apologize. I might have been slightly–”

“Dude, you weren’t _slightly_.” Ryuuji said, his feet moving impatiently. “You’ve almost walked into that damn spiky thingie trap. And with that boulder, too, if Yusuke and Akira didn’t grab you… I don’t know, man, you’ve…”

Ryuuji sighed, shrugging lightly.

“You’ve kind of been acting like me. Being a dumbass and shit.”

“You’re not a dumbass, Ryuuji. Even if sometimes the evidence points to the contrary.” Morgana said, sitting down and pulling not just Akira’s, but _everyone’s_ surprised stares at himself. He blinked around at them and then let out a small, embarrassed cough.

“What? Just because I’m demanding as your mentor and guide, doesn’t mean I don’t see value in–”

“Awwww…” Ann cooed, smiling and picking Morgana up, hugging him lightly. Akira snickered to himself. If that was Morgana’s reward, he saw the cat get much nicer to Ryuuji in near future.

“ _Anyway_.” Makoto said, though she, too, was smiling. “What I’d like to know, is–”

“Could we leave it for today?” Yusuke said quietly. He had moved while all of them were busy with Morgana and Ryuuji, and was now standing beside Goro, who still had the pleasant, slightly confused mask on his face. Akira really, _really_ didn’t like this mask.

“We’re all tired, Makoto. Akira and Goro must be tired most of all of us, with how busy we usually keep them during the infiltration. I really think we should postpone the conversation until such a time as all of us feel rested enough to undertake it.”

Akira stared at his artist friend; and then, a sudden realization fell on him.

 _You know_ , he thought, looking at Yusuke. _Not everything; not most things, perhaps, but you know how this is affecting him..._

They had agreed to disband for now; though over Makoto’s worried, unsure expression. First Ryuuji and Ann, and then Goro and Yusuke had left, and this was one thing that made Akira at least try to stay positive; that Goro had someone there, even if it wasn’t Akira himself.

For her part, the thing bothering Makoto was pleasantly familiar and grounding him back in the reality Akira knew. As they got back to Leblanc and sat down over some coffee in one of the booths, Akira heard - for the second time - about Eiko and her troubles, and Makoto’s suspicions towards her boyfriend. It felt nice, he thought to himself, being once again involved with familiar events concerning his friends. And yet, as he was assuring Makoto that he’ll help her on her quest to try and get Eiko to see reason, Akira couldn’t help but feel his thoughts insistently run back to his boyfriend.

As it turned out, perhaps he worried too much. Goro had called him - the timing suspiciously on point, just as Makoto left and Akira himself was fending off Morgana’s nagging and getting ready to go visit him. He told him he was alright, and only needed some time to himself tonight.

Yes, he shouldn’t worry…

And yet, a few hours later, Akira was trashing and turning on his bed, to Morgana’s annoyance, trying to get some sleep before their big day of changing Futaba’s heart. He couldn’t fall asleep; every time he closed his eyes, Akira saw Goro’s closed-up, tense expression and felt his heart clench with worry. The memories of their fight against Cognitive Wakaba, too, didn’t help. God, how will Goro hold up? He’s already been reacting terribly to hearing the distorted voices in Futaba’s Palace. What will happen when he will be faced with having to kill the woman he had killed once before, causing all this misery?

The sleep he fell into - once he finally managed to fall asleep - was uneasy and filled with half-defined silhouettes, screaming in their half-discernable voices all around him. Akira could see his parents in the flurry of people, but their faces disappeared, together with his mother’s yells and his father’s silence. There were the Phantom Thieves, too, but as he watched their faces sail by, Akira couldn’t seem to discern which ones of his friends he was seeing. He saw Igor’s long nose, heard some snippet of words he couldn’t remember whether him or Yaldabaoth had told him… the whirlwind of people and voices started spinning around him faster and with much less sense to it, and then…

The buzzing of his phone came as a relief. Akira wasn’t even fully awake when he grabbed for it and pressed it to his ear, letting out some slurred version of _hello?_ into the receiver.

For a moment, there was silence; and then, Goro’s voice came to him from the other side.

_“Did I just wake you up?”_

“...uh? Ah… no, I’m…” Akira stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes, sitting up on the bed. Morgana was sleeping over his head, hogging all of the pillow for himself. Akira frowned and shoved the cat slightly to the side, to absolutely no reaction.

“No, I’m awake. And I wasn’t having a great dream, so I’m actually glad you called. What’s up, though? It’s…” Akira took the phone away from his ear to look at the screen and cursed. “Goro, it’s two in the fucking morning. What are you doing awake?”

 _“...standing in front of Leblanc, it would seem?”_ Goro replied, in the kind of broken, half-sob laughter that made Akira shudder in worry as he jumped out of the bed, sprinting towards the stairs.

“Give me just a moment. I’ll let you in.”

Sure enough, his boyfriend _was_ standing in front of Leblanc, like he did few times before after a particularly jarring night. As Akira opened the door, he gasped, watching Goro not only step in; but fall against him, feeling cold and wet and _hurt_ in his arms.

“...Goro? Were you cycling in the rain? God, you’re drenched… come on, let’s get you inside…”

The door closed behind them. Goro was silent; it scared Akira how silent he was as he sat him down on one of the chairs and started to run about, getting Goro clean and dry clothes, towels, finally starting on preparing the boy hot coffee and reheating what leftover curry he found in the fridge, wanting to warm his boyfriend up. In his clothes and with a towel still draped over his head, Goro looked a mess; but it wasn’t until Akira took a moment to actually look into his face that he realized what seemed the most off.

Goro had dark circles under his eyes, and his whole expression spoke of exhaustion, mental and physical as well. A single trip to the Metaverse wouldn’t have had this much of an effect. Goro…

“You’ve… gone to the Metaverse again.” Akira whispered, setting the empty cup he held in his hands down on the counter, momentarily forgetting about the coffee. He saw Goro smile bitterly as his boyfriend stared at his hands…

...his _gloved_ hands. Akira frowned, feeling worry eat at his heart.

“...why don’t you ask what’s on your mind?” Goro said finally, once the silence stretched between them too thin to hold up. “ _ Did I kill anyone _ . The answer is, no. Not tonight.” 

“I wouldn’t have asked you something like this, you idiot.” 

“No. But you wondered. And rightly so.” Goro continued. The smile he had on his face was more of a grimace. “Still… no, don’t worry. The general public is safe from me tonight.”

“Goro…”

“I went to visit the pyramid again. Did you know we still need to trek through the desert, even if Mona isn’t there? It was one hell of an enlightening trip.”

Akira stared, at a loss for words. Slowly, he moved again, pouring the coffee and setting it in front of his boyfriend. Somehow, the small gesture seemed to make Goro break. He hid his face in his hands and in the next moment, Akira was shocked to see his shoulders shake in quiet, bitten back sobs. He was absolutely stunned. He had no idea what to do. 

“Goro, god, why would you… Why did you go? What’s happening?” He finally asked, walking from behind the bar, wrapping his sobbing boyfriend in a hug that felt as if he was holding up broken pieces of him, trying to hold them back together. He felt Goro struggle half-heartedly, and he loosened the hug somewhat; but didn’t let go.

“I  _ had to  _ go. I had to talk with her, privately… You don’t understand…” Goro whispered, shaking his head. “But… the moment I entered, that voice… that damn voice… there were no Shadows, no one to attack me; just these echoes… don’t you see? It has to be ringing in her head, all the time… her mother telling her all these vile, terrible–”

“Hey… hey, look at me.” Akira sighed, letting his boyfriend go completely; though only to gently pry his hands away from his face and press their foreheads together, cupping his cheeks. He could feel Goro’s tears wetting his fingers as they streamed down his cheeks. God, what Akira wouldn’t give to be able to kiss all of his boyfriend’s pain away, just as he could do with his tears…

“Goro, these voices aren’t real. Futaba’s mother loved her; she’d never say something like that. It’s what Futaba’s mind, and these damn bastards on Shido’s employ conjured up. She’s never heard anything like that being said to her by her mother–”

“ _ I  _ heard it.” Goro whispered; and as after a moment of absolute  _ shock _ , Akira leaned back to look at him, he saw so much pain in these garnet eyes it was almost too much to bear. 

“You mean…” Akira whispered, unable to stop himself. It was like scratching a healing wound; you knew you only made it worse, but continued to claw underneath, even so…

“I heard what she’s hearing in her head.” Goro repeated, quietly. His voice was still choked up; and as he continued to speak, more tears continued to flow. “ _ I wish you had never been born _ …  _ If only I never had you _ …” 

Goro’s voice broke; and so did Akira’s heart. And then, his boyfriend smiled a bitter, miserable smile and stared down at his gloved hands. 

“ _ If only I didn’t get pregnant with Goro… I could have been happy, if only I didn’t have him _ …” 

Goro was trembling; and it took Akira a moment to understand he had pulled his boyfriend into a tight, crushing hug, without even thinking about it. He felt his cheeks grow wet, and he realized he’s been crying, too. Once again, the two of them were reduced to this; two boys, sobbing as they clung to one another, unable to cope in any other way. 

“I always knew my mother didn’t want me.” Goro whispered, somewhere in between his sobs. “I always knew she suffered because of me. But one day, she got angry at me over something I did, and said these things… and then, I heard her say them again and again, to other people, to me… You don’t understand how much Futaba-chan is suffering, Akira. You don’t understand what I had caused her. To hear that, from your own mother… there’s _nothing_ worse, do you realize this? And _I…_

Akira didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. He leaned in, closing Goro’s lips with a kiss that was desperate and wet with tears. He kissed him again and again, whispering reassurances; whatever words that came to his mind, that he hoped would comfort him. Slowly, his boyfriend grew pliant and melted into his hold as Akira tried, desperately, to once again say the exact thing that would make the pain go away, just like Goro always told him he could, just like he knew his boyfriend was hoping he will.

And yet; and yet, in the silent minutes that ticked past as they stayed in their tight, desperate embrace… Not for the first time during this second run, Akira felt he had failed.

 


	37. Fracture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Goro enjoy some stolen hours of peace before the last bid for Futaba's Treasure

In the quiet hours before dawn, the darkness around them slowly turned into an undefined, blueish grey. It wasn’t proper daylight, but it was enough to pull the two boys out from the silence they settled into after their tears dried out. Goro was the first one to stir and lean back in Akira’s arms, looking tiredly around. Their eyes were red and puffy from crying and Akira could feel his exhaustion after the sleepless night, fill his mind with fog, slowing down thoughts. Now that the tears had stopped, he felt numb, but never once did he let go of his boyfriend, still holding him close. 

“I should go…” Goro mumbled, shifting in Akira’s hold. The raven shook his head slowly.

“It’s almost dawn… you’re not going anywhere. Come on, let’s go to bed.” He murmured back. 

“Boss will get angry–”

“Boss will understand.” Akira said stubbornly; and Goro opened his mouth to argue, but ultimately did not, falling silent and following obediently after the raven. 

They climbed up the stairs with their arms around each other’s shoulders, unable to move away from one another. Morgana was laying on his back, all four paws in the air and snoring, but he woke up as they slid into the bed, snuggling close to one another, as close as they could without it being painful. 

“Mrph… huh? Akira? What– Goro?” The cat mumbled, scooting to the side of the bed to give them space and staring at their tear-stained faces and at Akira’s clothes Goro was wearing to bed. 

“Sorry to wake you up, Morgana.” Akira murmured quietly, moving one of his hands up to stroke Goro’s hair. “We had an emergency.” 

Morgana stared; but as Akira shook his head, just subtly enough to get the message across, their friend didn’t ask. Instead, watching for a moment as Akira wrapped a blanket around the two of them and hugged Goro tighter to himself, Morgana came close once more. He curled up right by Goro’s nape, starting to purr; as if he wanted to soothe the boy in what little way he could. 

Soon, the three of them fell asleep; curled up on the bed together, warm and enjoying what stolen hours of peace they could. 

 

* * *

 

“So,” Sojiro said, not looking up from over the counter, and Akira cursed under his breath, staring at the creaky step on the stairway that gave him away. He had woken up early, after just few hours of sleep, and slipped out of the bed, leaving Goro and Morgana there. Judging by how exhausted his boyfriend was last night, and how long they stayed up, Akira was more than willing to let him sleep in. Hell, he’d love to stay in bed with Goro as well, if only his bladder didn’t demand he gets down to the bathroom at six in the bloody morning. 

And now not only was he jumping from one leg to the other, staring longingly at the bathroom door, he was going to be lectured by Sojiro. Wonderful. 

“I gave you  _ one  _ rule.” Boss continued, only to blink as Akira decided he is not risking it anymore and sprinted into the toilet. He walked out of it few minutes later feeling much lighter, only to see the older man look at him in amusement that he tried to hide under a strict frown. 

“...sorry, Boss. Had to run.” Akira murmured, offering a grin. Now he was  _ sure  _ that flicker in Sojiro’s eyes spoke of amusement. 

“...whatever. As I was saying… I gave you one rule, kid. No overnight stays. And not only is the other kid upstairs… and don’t even try to argue, by the way, I know he is… you didn’t even clean up the cafe after last night. I’m gonna give you five minutes to explain yourself.” 

Akira sighed, leaning back against the wall. Well, he knew something of the sort was coming. Last night - or, technically, earlier this morning - he was telling the truth. He really did believe Boss will understand. How to present it for the older man to understand, though, without saying too much about the past Goro might not want to share… that was another problem entirely.

“...it was an emergency.” 

“Last time I checked, teenage hormones were not  _ that  _ hard to control.” Sojiro deadpanned, making Akira work very hard not to roll his eyes.

“That’s not what happened! We didn’t… I mean, it wasn’t… Goro needed help. I didn’t want him to cycle home alone, in the dark, in the state he was in.” Akira took a breath, trying to judge - by the silence that fell after his words - how believable they were and whether they were enough. It didn’t seem so, and so, he continued tentatively.

“Look, Goro… it wasn’t easy for him lately. He needed someone to comfort him. He didn’t want to cause you any trouble; hell, he wanted to cycle home at four in the morning just so that you wouldn’t get angry, Boss. If you need to blame anyone he stayed over, blame me.” 

“What do you mean, the state he was in?” Sojiro asked quietly after a moment, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t sound strict now; he sounded serious. Akira hesitated. He really wasn’t sure how much was alright for him to say. Finally, the raven sighed and looked down, at his own, crossed arms. 

“...do you know what Goro’s family’s like?” He asked quietly. “He doesn’t have one. His mum… died… when he was just ten. And even before… well, what I’m getting at is… he didn’t have the easiest childhood. And now, with him being so… uh, involved with what’s Futaba going through… The more he got into it, the more he talked with you, and then with Futaba, it… all brought back memories. I didn’t know how much it was bothering him, until last night.” 

Akira shuddered, remembering the soft, broken voice in which Goro spoke to him, telling him of the words he had to endure, over and over again; words he has been forced to live with, all his life. Akira didn’t consider himself particularly lucky on the family relations front, but this… 

There were certain things no child should be forced to hear from their parent. No matter what.

“Well… he came here. He never… I didn’t know… god, I had no idea what he went through. Every day, ever since… And I tried to help and comfort him, but I just… couldn’t. I had no idea what to say.” 

Akira looked up; for a moment, he and Sojiro looked one another in the eye. Akira knew both of them blinked away tears behind their respective glasses. Hell, if anyone understood how it was, to see someone you love break down and suffer, and be unable to help… It had to be Boss, huh…?

“He said you’d get angry at us, if he stays.” Akira murmured, looking away from these kind, piercing eyes. “But… how was I supposed to let him go, and leave him alone, when he was hurting so much? I told him you’d understand, Boss. Because there are times, when… when rules really don’t matter.”

They looked at each other again, and Akira wondered; wondered whether Sojiro sensed that he knew, or at least suspected, the story that he only learnt in his first timeline. There were so many similarities between the two of them - both hopelessly,  _ helplessly, _ trying and failing in helping the people they loved, never able to quite escape the guilt for not being able to save them in time…

_ We even both got a second chance, _ Akira thought as he looked away once more, closing his eyes.  _ Me, with Goro… and Sojiro, though he couldn’t save Wakaba-san in the end, he was at least able to help Futaba in her stead... _

“...I do understand, kid.” Sojiro said quietly. “I’m not mad… and as long as you’re being responsible, I’m not going to get angry at you two for staying here overnight either. Now go, and get some sleep. You look like hell. I’ll get the cafe going in the meantime.” 

 

* * *

 

It was a tiny bit of joy in the middle of what felt like a pit of misery. For a few hours they tore away, quietly deciding to ignore everything, as though it were only the two of them in the whole wide world. 

Akira did go to sleep after his talk with Sojiro. Goro was still sleeping when he returned to the attic, and it was the easiest thing in the world, to slip under the blankets besides him again. To wrap his arms around him, to feel Goro snuggle up and mumble something in his sleep; something that sounded sweet and content and  _ happy _ .

And when they both finally woke up, hours after they were supposed to, it felt much easier to keep pretending. To send the rest of the Phantom Thieves a message saying they will send the calling card the next day, since they were all tired and needed full rest before the infiltration. To cuddle and kiss on the bed, and laugh and chat with Morgana until the cat finally forced them up. To pick outfits for one another from the box Akira kept his clothes in, to eat curry for breakfast together, tired and quiet, but happy.

And to spend the whole day, pretending the world outside of their little bubble of peace and joy did not exist. 

Goro seemed to need this kind of day, too. He emerged from Leblanc’s bathroom in the morning with his makeup completely gone, in Akira’s comfortable clothes, his hair pulled into a ponytail and curling at the ends. There was no attempt at a deeper conversation from him; indeed, it felt as if Goro was avoiding any subject more serious than which movie will they watch once they’re done eating. He didn’t move a step away from Akira the whole day, taking comfort in the raven’s closeness, and allowing the two of them to rest from the pains and responsibilities and memories. 

And when, in the evening, they left Leblanc to go to the bathhouse together, he looked a lot better than he did ever since they started the infiltration. Akira felt himself smile as they undressed together - no longer blushing or shy, but openly admiring one another, happy for how empty the bathhouse was right after opening. 

Perhaps his words weren’t enough to soothe his lover; but a day like this, spent in the comfort of one another’s presence seemed to do the trick. 

“Come here.” Akira murmured as they got in the water; alone, though more than aware that at any moment someone could come into the bathhouse with them. Still, Goro moved closer willingly, smiling as he leaned his back against Akira’s chest, purring when the raven started to massage his shoulders for him. 

“...thank you.” He murmured after a moment, and Akira understood he didn’t mean just the massage. “I’ll go back home once we get out. It’s pretty early… and I’d like a little cycle before tomorrow.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay another night? Boss won’t be mad, you know.” Akira murmured, continuing to work his hands slowly over Goro’s tense muscles. 

“No… I need to go back to my own apartment. Yusuke doesn’t like to sleep in it alone, did you know? He said he’s used to sleeping with other people in the house, and feels uneasy if left on his own. I suppose I understand him. Besides… I have work tomorrow in the morning.” 

“Will you be alright with us infiltrating, then? We can move it one more day…”

“No.” Goro said sharply, shaking his head. “I want it done as fast as possible. I’ll try to get off as soon as I can. And I’ll make sure to get some good rest today. It’s bad enough we made her wait one more day because of me; we can’t–”

“Goro.” Akira said in a warning tone, and his boyfriend took in a sharp breath; and fell silent. The raven found himself sighing. 

“...I’m just saying how it was.” Goro murmured after a while. Akira shook his head.

“We all needed a break. You most of all. And… we both needed a day like today, didn’t we?” 

“A calm before the storm.” Goro smiled faintly, leaning back against Akira’s chest. The raven smiled sadly, kissing his temple before wrapping his arms gently around him.

“I’m going to miss you tonight.” He whispered. He could feel a smile in Goro’s voice as he replied.

“I miss you anytime you’re not right beside me… it’s silly, isn’t it? I used to be so alone. Now, I feel like I understand Yusuke so well… sleeping alone in an empty flat must be bad enough after you get used to having someone there. Sleeping in an empty bed after sharing it with you… I hate it.”

 

* * *

 

The rain was definitely a nuisance during the summer, but Akira decided he preferred it to the stuffy, humid heat that fell on them whenever the rain stopped. The raven stared at Leblanc’s door with unseeing eyes as his hands worked mechanically by the coffee machines. All around the cafe, his friends have spread out, sitting in positions that told Akira they were trying to relax, while also being incredibly tense.

Ryuuji was sitting in one of the booths, his knee jumping up and down as he watched drops of water trickle down his glass with soda. Morgana sat beside him, half-hidden from Sojiro’s view. Boss wouldn’t tell him to get out, but just not to risk annoying the older man with the cat’s presence at Leblanc during opening hours, he hid. At some point, Ryuuji reached out absentmindedly and scratched behind Morgana’s ears. He purred, and Akira felt like he just witnessed a small miracle. 

Ann was leaning against Yusuke’s side, possibly without even consciously noticing she did. She’s been typing furiously on her phone, and Akira only needed to look at her expression to know she was texting Shiho. He managed a smile, setting a cup of coffee each in front of them and walking back to prepare one for Makoto, too.

“Next time we go out together, why won’t you bring her with?” He said, quietly, and Ann blinked up at him before smiling brightly back. 

“Do you think I could…? I really wanted to go together with her to the festival, but… ah, I don’t know. I don’t want Mona-chan to feel like we can’t talk to him because other people are there…” She murmured, looking back down at her phone. Akira shrugged lightly and looked back towards the booth. Ryuuji and Morgana were discussing something now. They were speaking in hushed voices and Akira was  _ sure  _ he caught something about the correlation between how often you visit a gym and how many girls you can impress. Despite the nervousness, he broke a smile. 

“I think he’d be fine.” He nodded, and then turned to Yusuke. “...you didn’t get anything?”

“No, the last text I got was before we sent the calling card.” The artist sighed, and then turned back to Morgana and Ryuuji. “We won’t… we’re not wasting time, are we? We could have waited…”

“It’d be a day, one way or the other.” Morgana shrugged in response. “An hour here or there doesn’t matter. As long as we do it today…”

“It did feel slightly off, going into Futaba’s room without Goro-kun.” Makoto sighed, smiling up at Akira as he handed her a cup of coffee and sat next to her by the counter. They all looked at one other, and then Yusuke asked again the question that was on everyone’s minds.

“It doesn’t…  _ matter _ that he wasn’t there, right…?” 

“It shouldn’t.” Morgana shook his head, though Akira wished he didn’t know his friend well enough to detect a slight uneasiness in his voice. “As long as she opened the door to the Phantom Thieves…”

Akira sighed, leaning back on his chair. It was all because of work, again. 

Last night, Goro got back home, just as he said he would. Well, he did, after a proper kiss– well, a few kisses– well, a make-out session that very nearly resulted in the brunet staying over after all. Akira felt himself smile, remembering it; and then, shook his head, trying to get himself to focus again. 

It wasn’t a nice night - no night was nice recently without his boyfriend in bed with him, snuggling up against his chest, but at least Akira has been spared any nightmares. Goro went to bed early, woke up at dawn and was at work by the time Akira got down to his breakfast; but something seemed to be going wrong. 

Not  _ exceptionally  _ wrong, just…  _ I thought I’ll be out a lot earlier  _ wrong. 

The Phantom Thieves came to Leblanc, one after another; and finally, Goro sent them a message asking them to deliver the calling card without him. They only needed to hand Futaba the card, he said, and she has already talked to him. It was the rest of the Thieves she needed to open her heart to. Once he’s back, they’ll go right in for the Treasure. 

Akira wished he could say it didn’t feel  _ good _ , to once again be the only one Futaba would talk to; to see her open her door to  _ him _ , not Goro, on her own volition. It was an ugly thought; one that resurfaced all the jealousy and hidden feelings of loss, and he pushed it firmly away from his mind, trying to focus on other things.

Now, after they showed Futaba the calling card and had her open the door for them, all that was left to do was… wait. And waiting never really served any good before a task as important as this one. 

“...do we have any new Mementos requests, does anyone know?” Ryuuji mumbled after a while, obviously uneasy with the silent waiting. Akira shook his head; they took care of everything for now, he needed to wait a bit for the new batch. Yusuke looked away from Sayuri.

“I heard rumours of a girl from my school being in trouble.” He said after a moment, in a faraway voice. “I didn’t quite grasp the nature of said trouble… she’s a shogi player who thinks of becoming a professional one day. From what I understand, it’s supposed to be quite soon.” 

“Wait, wait, I heard about her!” Ryuuji perked up. “She’s the one who practices in a church, right?”

“A church in Kanda, yes.” Yusuke nodded solemnly. “Perhaps we should inquire… unofficially…” 

Akira felt himself smile; and then, his eyes fell on Makoto, who was staring at her own phone with a slightly worried expression, only half-listening to them. He cleared his throat. 

“I think Makoto should go.” He said. Makoto looked up sharply, blinking at him, as Ryuuji whined in the background.

“Dude, that girl is supposed to be  _ super  _ hot! I heard about her! Why would Makoto–”

Ann sighed and stood up, smacking Ryuuji amiably over the head to shut him up; and Makoto blinked in surprise for a few moments, before looking away. 

“I… do you think I should, Akira?”

“We can go together, if you’d like.” He smiled gently. “I, um… in my hometown, I used to play shogi with someone; I don’t think I’d be interesting to her. But if we ask her to teach you… I mean, you’re our strategist, aren’t you? And shogi is all about strategy.  _ And  _ you could get some info about any problems she might have that need solving…”

“Do you know what?” Makoto smiled up at him. “I think that… could work.” 

“That’s decided then!” Ann beamed at the two of them, picking Morgana up and starting to pet him, the cat turned into a puddle of delighted purring in her hands. The bell by the door tingled softly and Akira beamed, seeing Goro almost burst in. He’s been running from the station, that was obvious; he looked flushed and sweaty and out of breath.

“Are we ready?” He gasped out, smiling gratefully at Akira as the raven wordlessly slid a glass of icy water towards him. The rest of the Phantom Thieves looked at one another and nodded, all of them standing up. 

“Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

God, has Akira been dreading this. 

Every step up the staircase of the pyramid felt like walking towards a nightmare. This Palace has always been one he remembered with a shudder. The traps and Shadows aside, but the sheer mental strain of watching the tragedy of what Futaba was going through… and then, that final fight. If not for the fact healing Futaba’s heart had been such an incredibly valuable reward for all this, Akira felt he’d wish they didn’t need to go through all this all over again. 

And yet, here they were, once more, standing by the final door before the Treasure, waiting for them to open. Goro was leading; and as they stood there and caught their breath after the run up the stairs, Akira gently led him to the side, squeezing his hand lightly in his.

“Are you okay? Ready to do this?” He whispered, finding his boyfriend’s eyes behind his mask. Goro looked determined; the hurt, the guilt from before hadn’t gone from his look completely, but it  _ has  _ subdued. Akira was grateful for that. 

“More than ready.” The brunet nodded. “Let’s get it over with, Leader.” 

Akira kissed him; he couldn’t really help himself. The shout of  _ hey, it’s opening!  _ broke them apart, and they both smiled sheepishly as they looked up towards the door. Akira sighed and nodded to himself, checking once more whether he had everything at the ready. 

He ran past the door, scanning the surroundings for Shadows. Behind himself, he could hear Morgana, Ryuuji and Ann join him, then Makoto and Yusuke; and then, as he turned to check if everyone was ready, he saw Goro step in.

The door shook; as did the ground. Akira didn’t know when he started to run; it had to happen before he could even notice the door start to slam shut again, with his boyfriend in the middle of them. Goro’s eyes widened and he looked up as Akira yelled, shouted at him to lunge forward…

It caught him in the middle; there was a sickening  _ crack  _ and a scream of pain as the door slammed, ready to crush the boy between them. Akira threw himself into the crack and pushed, yelling for others to help. He felt Yusuke’s arms wedge beside his own, and then Ryuuji’s and Makoto’s. He saw Ann’s pink gloves wrap around Goro, who was thrashing in pain and trying to get the damn door to let him go; and then, with one, enormous heave, they did, and they all fell in a heap onto the floor, all scrambling up to check on their teammate. 

It was  _ bad _ ; Akira didn’t need to ask Morgana’s opinion to know it was. Goro’s face was  _ ashen  _ behind his mask; he was coughing and trying to hide the red blooming on his glove from the coughs. 

“...we’re going out.  _ Now _ .” Akira said decisively; only to stare as Goro pushed away Morgana and Ann, and stood shakily up. He had a limp, and it was clear even standing in place was hurting him immensely; and yet, he stared Akira down as if he was insane.

“We’re  _ not _ .” Goro hissed. “We’re going on.”

“Goro, you’re barely…” 

“The calling card effect will be gone by tomorrow! And we don’t know if another one will work!”

“But–”

“I’m  _ fine _ !” The brunet snapped, and that one was directed at Morgana, who tried to take a look at his wounds once more. They all stared at one another; in their gazes, a conversation took place. It’s general sense was:  _ well, we did post the damn calling card, and we can  _ **_not_ ** _ risk it expiring. What do we do now…? _

“...we go on.” Goro said, as if he read their minds. Slowly, he started to limp towards the next platform, where a very confused Shadow was staring at them after all the ruckus they caused. “If you want to leave, leave. I’m staying here.” 

“...I’m the  _ leader _ .” Akira heard himself saying. “I gave you an  _ order _ .” 

“And I decided to ignore it.” Goro snapped back. 

It was as if someone hit him in the stomach. For a short moment, Akira simply stared, unable to comprehend what his next move should be; and then he growled and grabbed Goro’s shoulder, pulling him forcefully back.

“ _ Fine _ .” He said. “We’re  _ not  _ leaving and we  _ are  _ going on–”

“Joker, that’s  _ mad _ –” Makoto started.

“ _ But _ ,” Akira continued, “You’re off the main party. Fox, you’re protecting him from any Shadows that somehow get through us; Panther, heal him the best you can until we get the Treasure and can get out of here.” 

“You’re not  _ delegating me  _ off–” 

“I’m not allowing you to be a bother.” Akira snapped, and for a moment, they looked at each other angrily; and then, Goro relented, not even giving Akira a look. He slumped on Yusuke the moment the boy sneaked under his arm, and allowed Ann to support him from the other side. Akira let out a breath. 

“...alright. Skull, Mona, Queen, you’re with me. Let’s go.” 

 

* * *

 

It was so much, so  _ infinitely  _ worse than what this final fight looked like the previous time. 

Akira’s blood was still boiling in his veins - from worry or anger or frustration, he couldn’t say. They fought their way through the few remaining Shadows fairly easily, though with constant looking back at the small group behind them, where Goro was still coughing blood and still refusing to admit he was hurt. He also refused to look Akira in the eye, but that couldn’t be helped for now. 

And then, they finally got to the tomb, and the one part of Akira’s brain that still retained  _ some  _ hope whispered to him that maybe, just maybe, this time the monster will not show up. Of course, it was wrong, and as the mad shrieks resounded above them, everything went right to shit.

It no longer mattered how sick with worry and annoyed at Goro he was at the moment. The gasp Akira heard from behind himself the moment monster Wakaba showed up in the crack in the pyramid was enough to put him on high alert. God, Goro was white as a sheet; staring at the monstrosity of the woman he  _ had to  _ see once before, whose Shadow he killed. 

“Watch out!” Ryuuji yelled, and Akira’s body seized up, pushing Makoto out of the way. He was just a fraction too late; the heavy boulder collided with his side, knocking the wind out of him and making pain bloom all over his torso like a red, angry flower. His vision blurred, but Akira pushed away hands wanting to help him, forcing himself to get up, shaking his head at questions whether he was hurt. He heard Goro call his name and ignored it, yelling orders, forcing them to go forth, to form ranks, to  _ fight _ . 

It was  _ terrible _ , like a fever dream. Cognitive Wakaba’s hits fell like rain over them, and they could do little more than keep themselves alive and at least try to fight back. Akira heard Futaba enter, right when he managed to dodge a huge paw trying to slam into him, and breathed a sigh of relief. 

Just a little bit more; if they could keep it up just a little more…

As they regrouped around her, Futaba crouched down, covering her ears. Before Makoto could get to her though, as Akira remembered she would, Goro fell on his knees beside the girl. 

“Futaba-chan…” Akira heard him choke out, holding the girl’s shoulders. Above them, there was another cruel shriek; and then, the monster pounced down once more, screaming out cruel words.

“That’s right! You killed me! You are nothing but a demon who stood in my way! I wish you had never been born! That way I could’ve announced my results without having to waste my time on you! I poured my heart and soul into that research! It would have been–”

“Oh  _ shut up! _ ” Goro yelled out, and Akira was shocked to see, just for a moment, his boyfriend’s silhouette change. Black replaced white, red was exchanged for blue; though it only lasted a second, he could almost  _ hear  _ Loki’s laughter…

“I did it… I did it… I killed my mum…” Akira heard Futaba sob; and then gasp when Goro’s fingers dug into her shoulders. 

“You didn’t! You did not kill your mother, Futaba-chan! All this… all the voices you hear, they’re not real, do you understand? They’re what these people  _ wanted you  _ to believe! You did not cause your mum to die, and she did  _ not  _ commit suicide!”

“W-what…? But… she wrote the letter… she  _ said  _ I killed her… How could you know...” Futaba stared; her wide eyes on Goro. Everyone’s eyes were on Goro. All of a sudden, it felt as if the whole world went silent. Akira didn’t think Goro’s voice was loud; but somehow, it rang in his ears; in all of their ears. 

“You didn’t kill your mother, Futaba-chan.” Goro said, closing his eyes tightly. 

“I did.” 


	38. Unforeseen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Futaba's Palace crumbles around them, the Phantom Thieves need to face the truth about one of their own.

It felt as if, just for a moment, the whole world paused, shattered, and then was restored again, feeling at the same time familiar and completely, distressingly wrong. The sounds around them fluctuated in Akira’s ears, as if he was listening to a badly-tuned radio. His vision felt strange; blurry for most of it, but frighteningly sharp where Goro and Futaba knelt together. The brunet’s lips were still moving; he spoke urgently, but in a quiet voice. Akira could hear singular phrases; like  _ my fault _ , like  _ mental shutdown  _ and like  _ I’m sorry _ , repeated over and over again. 

He didn’t understand what was happening. Of course, Goro had promised him he would come clean to them; but why like this, why now? It didn’t make any sense; none of it did. The raven hesitated, and then made a step forward, wanting to help, to  _ be there _ \- for Futaba or for Goro, he wasn’t sure. But, though it felt like it did, the world around them did not stop. They still had a fight to finish; and it was a foolish thing to think they will be allowed the time to talk things out.

“Watch out!” Ryuuji yelled, and all of a sudden, Akira saw the rest of the Phantom Thieves scatter over the plateau. Above them, Cognitive Wakaba clearly has had enough of being ignored. Her eyes on Futaba, the monster shrieked once more and pounced towards the girl. 

It happened so fast, Akira barely had time to  _ think _ . His body reacted on its own, lunging towards Futaba, knowing even before he moved he won’t make it in time. This didn’t happen before; this was all wrong, and Akira was lost in the unknown, events shifting before his eyes. 

A flash of white and red as Goro jerked himself up onto his feet, almost bent over in pain; a sudden movement as he pushed Futaba towards running Akira, who got almost knocked over as the girl fell into his arms, shaken but safe and unharmed. Cognitive Wakaba’s enormous paw swiped at where Futaba just was and where only Goro stood now; the brunet’s lightsabre flickering and then blinking out of sight as the force of the monster’s blow collided with it, flinging Goro to the side. His body collided with the nearby pillar with a sickening  _ crack! _ . Akira regained his balance and pushed Futaba away, breaking into a run once more.

“Goro!”

“I’ll take care of him!” Yusuke said, grabbing Akira’s arm and forcefully turning him around. “Joker, you need to finish this! We don’t stand a chance without the two of you!”

“But–”

“I’ll help.” 

Futaba’s voice was shaking; she was on the verge of tears, her eyes still fixed on the white-and-red, motionless figure of Goro laying under the bloodstained pillar. Yusuke let go of Akira and ran towards him; the raven saw him gently turn Goro onto his back, grab his hand and pull out what healing items he had. And then, his eyes slid over to the orange-haired girl who was now wiping her tears away from under her glasses. 

“I know the truth now!” She said, stomping her foot. “This monster is  _ not  _ my mum! And I’ll help you defeat it, no matter what!” 

Green light flooded the plateau they were standing at, and Akira watched as Necronomicon formed around his friend, pulling her inside, the force of her awakening filling them all with new strength. 

_ He’ll be alright _ , Akira thought, forcing himself to turn around, tearing his eyes away from his injured boyfriend.  _ Yusuke will take care of him. He’ll be okay. He has to be _ . 

He felt sick; the injuries he himself had retained burning under his skin, though none of those was worse than the worry he felt for Goro. But then, Yusuke was right, wasn’t he? He had to fight. The whole world could crumble around him, and Akira still had to fight. The rest of the Phantom Thieves, though shaken, fell into ranks around him; and the fight continued. 

It felt like a dream - a nightmare perhaps, but a dream nevertheless. Now the events played out similar to the ones Akira had remembered; now, when the knowledge did him no good, he could tell exactly what was going to happen. Their magic attacks did hardly any damage to the monster, but they chipped away at her strength; little by little, pulling her attention to them while Futaba and Ryuuji worked on shooting her down with a ballista. Again and again; the familiar rhythm of attacks, healing, desperate attempts to keep his friends alive; and then the war machine shooting, the monster falling down long enough they could actually attack her with all they’ve got. Rinse, repeat.

Akira didn’t feel like himself; he didn’t feel like he was the one who shouted commands, who led his team to victory. He watched himself from the side, feeling numb and frightened; and more than half of him was in the back, where Yusuke was still trying to keep Goro alive and breathing as they fought. 

Finally, the ground shook, and Cognitive Wakaba fell from the sky for the last time, sliding down the pyramid. Akira didn’t stay to watch; he was already running, even before the monster hit the ground for the last time. His hands trembled as he dropped to his knees by Goro’s side, cradled his head on his lap. Akira’s gloves turned even redder than usual with Goro’s blood trickling from the cuts and gashes the last fall caused him. The raven was half-aware of his friends walking closer, helping one another with injuries, talking around him. Morgana ran close, ready to start on healing the worst wounds. He heard Futaba’s meek  _ will he be alright…?  _ and someone trying to comfort her; and then heard Wakaba’s voice, the last message from mother to daughter as Futaba moved away from them, only stopped by Wakaba’s own insistence. 

Goro had stirred in his arms; his eyes blinking open. He didn’t have his mask on; Akira pushed it to the side when he got to him. Goro wasn’t looking at him; he was looking at the two figures further away, one of them nearly translucent. Wakaba looked over at him, and Akira saw their eyes meet. She smiled softly, shaking her head. 

Goro could hardly speak; he could hardly open his mouth even, but he did anyway. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. Akira watched as Futaba and Wakaba looked at one another for the last time, before the woman looked back to Goro. She didn’t speak; she didn’t have to. And as she faded away, Goro had once again lost his consciousness, falling limp in Akira’s arms.

“I’m… going to go.” Futaba said quietly after a moment, walking past them. She glanced at the brunet and hesitated, before looking up at Akira. “He’ll… be okay, won’t he?” 

“He will. I’ll make sure of it.” Akira said. She nodded, almost to herself, before moving towards the entry back into the pyramid. 

“Well, I’m leaving. I know how to get out, don’t worry.” She said, disappearing inside. Yusuke let out a soft breath, before looking back at Goro and Morgana. The cat had worked open Crow’s regal jacket, and all of the Phantom Thieves winced at the mangled mess of bruises and deep, bleeding gashes waiting under it. Akira cursed, reaching out to his own Personas to help with the healing.

“We need to get him out of here,” Yusuke said, standing up. “Quick; Ryuuji, Ann, Makoto, let’s get the Treasure and–”

Akira’s eyes widened. The comment about the Treasure made him remember; god, they needed to  _ hurry _ !

“There’s no Treasure here!” He said, jumping onto his feet and pulling Morgana away, picking Goro up in his arms. The Thieves looked at him in surprise, though Akira was momentarily busy; a surge of relief washed over him when, in response to being moved about, Goro’s arms moved up on their own, wrapping around his neck.

_ He’s alright. He’ll be okay _ , he repeated, like a mantra in his head. 

“Futaba awakened to her Persona here, didn’t she? Persona users don’t have Palaces! That means the moment she leaves her Palace for the last time…” Akira started, looking around for the quickest way down. As if to confirm his words, the ground shook under their feet; and all of a sudden, he saw all of his friends’ faces go white.

“Run!” Ryuuji yelled. 

It was a wild run down the pyramid; one that, should have ended with at least one of them falling and breaking their neck by any conceivable way. It felt like the only thing keeping them upright was the sheer speed of their run; that if any of them stopped, if just a moment, they’d stumble to their death together with all the rubble. 

Akira couldn’t think of it now, though. He couldn’t focus on anything but the white-hot, overwhelming need to run, to get out of here, to carry his lover back to safety. Their escape wasn’t an easy one and Akira couldn’t keep Goro as steady as he’d like; the brunet was whimpering quietly in pain in his arms. Akira’s own injuries hurt, like fire under his skin, but he ignored them; the rubble started to rain over his back, cutting through his coat, making his costume stick to his body with blood, but he didn’t let himself stop. 

By the time they finally fell into the Monabus and started on their wild journey home, all Akira could think of was to keep Goro steady during the bumpy ride. He found his boyfriend’s hand and squeezed it with his own, looking around the car wildly. Everyone was there; everyone was trying their best to keep themselves from being thrown around the car, hissing in pain from their own injuries but definitely, wonderfully alive.

Akira felt another pang of relief wash over him; and then, still holding onto Goro’s barely-conscious body, he fainted. 

 

* * *

 

“Should we call an ambulance…?” Ann’s voice was quiet, hesitant. Akira tried to open his eyes to look at her, and found he didn’t have the strength to do that just yet. His head was killing him; and perhaps it was good it did, because the moment he tried to somehow ignore the pain, the  _ rest  _ of his body made sure he was fully aware of just how poorly he has been treating it lately. Akira felt like someone had just beaten him with a steel pipe.

“Are you insane? What will we tell them, that we all got beaten up in the cognitive world and now require medical attention?” That was Makoto. Akira groaned, forcing his eyes open. The sky glared down at him. 

“Akira has a doctor friend around here.” Morgana said, sounding worried. “If one of you comes with me, we’ll get her…”

“I’ll take Futaba up to her room. Bring the doctor there first, okay? I think she’s just fainted, but if something has happened to her…” It was Ann again. Akira tried to move, but his vision swam too much. He felt as weak as a kitten. 

“I’ll go fetch Boss, then.” Makoto said decisively. “I’ll tell him Akira and Goro-kun had a cycling accident, that’ll explain the bruises… and we found Futaba-chan laying faint in front of his house.” 

“He’d be dumb to believe you.” A voice mumbled, and Akira realized it was his own. He felt strong hands help him to sit down, and looked up blearily at Ryuuji, who grinned a somewhat shaky grin back at him. 

“Shit, good to see you awake, mate.” 

“You have any better ideas?” Makoto sighed exasperatedly, and Akira shook his head slowly, immediately regretting the action. It  _ hurt _ ; though not enough for him not to look down at the boy laying on his lap. They were still holding hands. Goro’s face was ashen, and Akira could clearly see the ugly, red bruises where the bleeding gashes had been all over his body. His heart hammered in his chest with worry. Goro wasn’t awake; why wasn’t he waking up?

“He’ll be alright.” Yusuke said, kneeling next to them. Akira looked around his whole team, watching him. They were focusing on him, he noticed, all of them studiously avoiding looking at Goro. It was as if they didn’t want to confront what they heard him say, didn’t want to acknowledge hearing it. Right now, Akira was glad for it. He nodded slowly. 

“Ann, Morgana, get Futaba to her room, I’ll call Takemi for a home visit, you can trust her. Makoto, fetch Boss; don’t tell him about me and Goro for now, I’ll think of some excuse. Yusuke, Ryuuji, can you guys help me get Goro to the attic while Boss’ busy with Futaba? When Takemi’s done checking up on her, please, send her over. And we’ll meet down at Leblanc afterwards.”

Slowly, and with a lot of help from Ryuuji, Akira managed to stand up, Goro’s limp arm over his shoulders, Yusuke stepping in to support the unconscious boy from the other side. All of them moved purposefully in the directions Akira had pointed to them, ready to implement their plan. 

Anything to keep busy, he thought, leaning on Ryuuji’s helpful shoulder as they made their first few steps towards the safety of Leblanc. Anything to  _ not think  _ just yet…

 

* * *

 

The Thieves were all there, and talking in hushed voices when Akira carefully walked down the stairs, following Takemi. She waved at him and left without a word, and the raven slumped into one of the booths, earning a look from Sojiro; though for now, he was not being called into questioning. That was just as well. The painkillers and an ointment Takemi had given him after looking over Goro helped with his own pain somewhat, but it did nothing for exhaustion. 

The rest of the group fell silent when he joined them, and were now looking at Akira expectantly. They won’t be able to say much, he knew; not with Sojiro there, and not with all of them looking ready to drop. Ann was actually nodding off, her head falling onto Ryuuji’s shoulder a few times. She only stayed awake because the blond kept shrugging her head off of himself. 

“...Futaba-chan’s okay.” Makoto finally broke the silence, stroking over Morgana’s fur. The cat was curled up on her lap, his eyes closed, though somehow, Akira knew he wasn’t asleep. “Boss says she does this sometimes. Just falls asleep, because she needs to recharge.”

“That’s one thing to be grateful for.” Akira sighed, leaning down on the table. He waited until Sojiro busied himself with the stove further in the kitchen and looked up at them. “Goro’s going to be okay, too. There’s nothing wrong with him at first glance, just bruises and stuff. Doctor Takemi said his body’s exhausted, and that he needs to sleep it off. She did tell me to watch him, though, and to call an ambulance if it gets worse.” 

There was a visible feeling of relief washing over their group. They finished the Palace, and though it was rough and  _ costly _ , they were finally  _ done  _ with it. And no one has  _ really  _ been hurt, have they? Only…

“...so, uh… that… that lie Goro said to get Futaba’s Persona to awaken…” Ryuuji started, in some sort of hopeful desperation. Akira sighed and closed his eyes. 

“It wasn’t a lie.” He said quietly. Around him, there was silence; and then…

“Dude, that… that’s not funny.” Ryuuji said, frowning at him. Ann shook her head, also frowning.

“Akira, what the hell are you saying?”

“Goro is one of us.” Yusuke said sharply, crossing his arms over his chest. “I admit he’s a secretive person, and doesn’t enjoy sharing about his past, but to recklessly say such a thing, that’s…”

“No, Akira’s right.” Came a quiet voice. Everyone looked down as Morgana opened his eyes. He was still curled up on Makoto’s lap, and he didn’t move; only his tail twitched lightly in agitation. “I mean… I don’t know details. But I’ve been suspecting Goro was hiding something from us for a long time. I’ve talked to Akira about it… and then so much stuff kept happening, I never really… wanted to investigate. But it’s true, isn’t it? Goro’s the guy Kaneshiro’s been talking about. He’s the  _ Black Mask _ .” 

Everyone looked at Akira. He  _ hated  _ these looks; these expressions ranging from searching to  _ pleading  _ for him to deny this. The raven stared at the table in front of him and nodded wordlessly. He heard a few gasps.

“That’s  _ bullshit _ .” Ryuuji growled, only just stopping himself from slamming a hand down on the table. “How the–”

“You’ve  _ known  _ this, Akira?” Makoto asked sharply, frowning up at him. “And you’ve never told us..? You let us…”

“I knew.” Akira said, interrupting her. He was speaking in a quiet voice that somehow made them all fall silent and listen. “I knew for a while. He told me, and I didn’t tell you because I swore I would not. On condition that Goro will come clean to you guys by himself. He agreed to that.” 

“Still, that’s…” 

“It’s not how you think it is.” Akira said, still talking quietly. “I… really don’t think it’s my place to explain. But… you’ve known Goro for months now, just as I have. Does he really seem like the kind of guy who’d…” He stopped, remembering Sojiro was there, and though Boss rarely seemed interested in anything they were talking about, and indeed, was far enough not to be able to hear, Akira didn’t want to risk it. 

“I guess… he really isn’t.” Makoto said carefully, looking worriedly at her hands. “But then… if what he said he did was true, that’s…”

“Let him explain himself to you.” Akira said in a pleading voice. “ _ Please _ . Give him the benefit of the doubt, and let him explain. I mean… I know what happened, and I’m still dating him, am I not? Goro… he isn’t a bad person. He’s been through hell and back, and he’s still going through more stuff than any of you have any idea. So  _ please… _ until he wakes up and feels better, just…”

They looked at each other; Akira could see how helpless they all looked. What were they supposed to do now, really..? They knew too little to form opinions; and Akira was aware how ridiculous it must have sounded, for him to say someone who had killed another person and confessed to it, to have anything to say that would make it any better.

God, he prayed they will understand, once Goro tells them. He really did. 

It was with air of dissatisfaction that they all eventually agreed to disband for the day, leaving in ones and twos. Morgana snuggled in Akira’s arms as he explained to Sojiro that Goro was in a cycling accident - Boss didn’t believe him for a minute, he could see that, but still let it slide - and climbed back upstairs. Goro laid there, in the same position he had left him in, face still ashen and glistening from sweat. Akira looked at him for a long while, and then made another, very slow trip downstairs, coming back with a bowl of water and a clean cloth, sitting down and gently wiping Goro’s face for him. He could see Morgana looking up at him from the bed by Goro’s legs.

“...why didn’t you tell me, Akira?” The cat had asked after a long moment. The raven shrugged. His mind was blank; he had no more strength to say anything. Somewhere at the back of his head, there was a vague thought he should find Goro’s phone and call his work, saying his boyfriend was sick… but that could be done tomorrow. He didn’t have the energy to do anything else today. 

“It was how I told you. I promised to let him explain in his own time.” Akira mumbled quietly, wiping off Goro’s brow before pressing a very soft, gentle kiss to it. He could feel he was warm, but his fever didn’t spike, like Takemi warned it could. At least one blessing there, then.

“But… you could have told  _ me _ …” Morgana murmured, looking down at his paws. Akira looked to the side at his friend and all of a sudden, felt his eyes fill with tears. He didn’t even know why; he had no idea why he was crying. It was just too much. He couldn’t bear this, he just couldn’t. Morgana looked up at him, his eyes widening; and then, with a long jump, he was there, letting Akira pull him into a rare, but much-needed, hug.

“I’m sorry…” Akira whispered, in a choked-up voice. He could feel a hesitant paw pat against his head awkwardly. 

“H-hey, hey, it’s okay, you promised, it can’t be helped…” The cat mumbled, shaking his head. “A-Anyway… now we all know… once Goro gets better, it’ll all be alright, yeah? I’m sure he can… explain stuff… Hey, it’ll be okay. You’ll see, it’ll be better once we all had some sleep...” 

Morgana’s voice faded away. Blindly, Akira reached for Goro’s hand; and held it tight.

 

* * *

 

Morgana told Akira it would be better in the morning, and in some ways, it  _ did  _ get better. 

Once the exhaustion and the first shock of it all wore down, Akira became much calmer. Oh, he still worried, sure; but at least now he mostly worried about Goro’s injuries and how the talk with the rest of the Thieves was going to go, not about… well, absolutely  _ everything _ . 

He had always known this moment would come, he told himself. It was going to happen sooner or later. Now the thing to do was to take care of his boyfriend and hope for the best. 

Goro was still sleeping when Akira woke up, laying curled up on the narrow bed by his side. He left Morgana with him as he went downstairs, had breakfast and updated the Thieves on the situation - texting them all saying there wasn’t really much to update them on in the first place. 

Even so, Ann and Ryuuji stopped by later in the morning, climbing onto Akira’s attic and sat down, their voices hushed, as if they were afraid they would disturb Goro’s sleep.

“He looks awful, doesn’t he.” Ryuuji mumbled, looking over at the boy on the bed. “I had no idea the door would slam on him like that… and then, how he jumped up to protect Futaba, that was…” He stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. Ryuuji and Ann exchanged glances, and then they looked over at Akira, both with their expressions determined. 

“So… we know you asked us to wait.” Ann said, quietly. “But we’ve been texting about this, and… well, you’re right, Akira. We know Goro-kun, and he’s not someone who’d do the kind of stuff Kaneshiro was talking about. I know there were these… mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns cases, but…” 

“Ann, I really–”

“So I thought, and Ryuuji’s right with me on that one, that there really has to be a lot more to it than it seems. So we’ll wait. And once Goro-kun wakes up, you can tell him we’re waiting for him. He’s still our friend, isn’t he?” 

“Yeah, man. I mean, it’s the same as with you, isn’t it?” Ryuuji shrugged, kicking his legs lightly in the air. “You told us how that assault bullshit went down. Most people at school don’t know that, so they treat you like shit. Well I’m not gonna treat my buddy there like shit just because we don’t know the full story yet.” 

Akira parted his mouth, looking from one of them to the other. He tried to find words that would explain how much this meant to him, to hear them say that; and how much it will, ultimately, mean to Goro. Ann smiled at him knowingly and reached out, patting his hand gently with her own.

“We know.” She said quietly. “It must’ve been hard on you, too, huh? Keeping that secret, helping Goro-kun through it… So we’ll do our best now, too. Well…” She sighed, looking over at Goro’s sleeping form and shaking her head. “I guess that’s it. We won’t bother you now, okay? You need to rest, too. Come on, Ryuuji.” 

It wasn’t even an hour after the two of them left -  both of them leaning over Goro and wishing him to get better soon before leaving - when Yusuke and Makoto arrived, each seemingly surprised to see the other there. 

“I couldn’t stand sitting in the house alone.” Yusuke explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “Besides, I thought that Goro might have need of some items from the house.” 

“I asked Sis about the mental shutdowns cases,” Makoto said, looking at Akira apologetically. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t get it off my mind…” 

The raven had led them upstairs; this wasn’t a talk to be had at Leblanc. Yusuke had sat down by Goro’s bed, starting to take a few things he brought with him out of his bag - some clothes for Goro to change into and so on. Makoto folded her hands on her lap and looked away, clearing her throat. 

“It… admittedly, at first she didn’t understand why would I be interested, but… from what I understood from what Sis  _ did  _ tell me, these cases have been on the steady decline since April. Indeed, there’s been no mental shutdown case for a long time, and even the psychotic breakdown cases were fewer, and have stopped completely after Kaneshiro turned himself in. It’s… If what you’ve said is true, then… it’s almost like…”

“It’s almost like someone who had no alternative beforehand was finally given one, huh.” Akira said quietly, looking at Makoto. Her lips pressed together, and then she looked over at Goro once more. 

“...I don’t believe it. I don’t believe Goro-kun is… a bad person.” She said.  _ Killer  _ was such a hard word, Akira mused somewhere at the very back of his head. He shook the thought away. 

“He’s not, Makoto. I can promise you that. Believe me, if… if not for the fact that what he’s about to tell you is  _ very  _ personal…”  _ And I shouldn’t be, technically, aware of good chunks of the story _ , his mind supplied, “I’d have told you everything, and much sooner at that. Goro may have done bad things in the past, but he’s not a bad person. He’s the same guy who was fighting with you, side by side, all this time. The same guy who helped you awaken to your powers. We can’t change our past, but he’s trying  _ so hard  _ to be a good person in his present… for you. For all of us. So please, give him a chance.” 

Makoto smiled at him lightly as Yusuke, having finally finished unpacking his bag, joined them by the table. 

“That goes without saying.” She said. “If I couldn’t so much as let him explain himself… what kind of friend would I be?” 

They didn’t stay for long afterwards, either. Makoto promised Sae she would cook that day, she said, and once she was gone, Yusuke didn’t seem to want to overstay his welcome. Akira insisted Morgana should go with him and spend the night; he remembered how Goro had said that the artist disliked sleeping on his own. The two of them were surprised by the proposal, but all it took was one look at Akira’s face for them to both shrug and agree. Yusuke seemed grateful he’ll have some company, at least, and Akira could hear Morgana propose he paints him even before they got all the way down the stairs. That pulled a little smile out of him, for just a brief moment.

Afterwards, Akira spent an hour or two helping Sojiro out in the cafe, just to give Goro a little more time; and then, he prepared two plates with curry and carried them slowly upstairs, setting them on the table before sitting beside Goro’s bed. 

For a long moment, there was silence. And then, Akira sighed and covered Goro’s hand with his own.

“Look, I won’t force you to talk to me, but I want you to eat something and drink some water. I know you’ve been awake since they left, I’ve seen you check if they’re gone already when you thought I wasn’t looking.” 

Very slowly, and looking somewhat guilty, Goro opened his eyes and looked up at him. Akira smiled lightly, squeezing his hand. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked. Goro looked away, shaking his head. Akira felt himself sigh.

“That bad, huh. Well, let’s get something into you. Can you sit up?” 

 

* * *

 

It took three days before Goro felt well enough to actually stand up and, holding Akira’s hand a bit tighter than he normally would, walk down the stairs with him. Sojiro nodded silently when he spotted the two, starting on two cups of coffee. Over the last few days, Akira noticed that Boss wasn’t as talkative with him as usual. He didn’t mind it, but he did realize the time for the talk would come, and frankly, he wasn’t sure what to tell him. It was clear his excuse about Goro having a bike accident wasn’t one the older man bought. 

“Thank you, Boss.” Goro smiled faintly, wrapping his hands around the cup. Akira smiled to the side at him, before turning to his own. “I’m sorry for being an inconvenience on you for so long.” 

“Don’t be stupid, kid.” Boss shrugged, looking around the cafe. It was still early; the regulars didn’t come in yet. Sojiro sighed, leaning against the counter in front of the two of them. 

“Look, you two. I may seem like a silly old geezer to you, but I’m not stupid. And now, that you’re both here and not covered in bruises… or at least less covered in bruises, and we can all pretend it never happened, I’d like to know what the hell  _ did _ . You boys are mixing up in some gangs, huh? You’re pulling the kid along to solve some of your cases?” He looked at Goro with a frown, and Akira saw the detective stare, not sure how to react. Sojiro sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Jeez… I thought you’d be a  _ good  _ influence on him.” Boss said, still frowning at Goro. “The kid’s on probation; you ought to know what that means. You two are lucky I didn’t report you and have someone official ask what the hell you are all roughed up for. Now, I want you to tell me, exactly, what has been–”

Akira blinked; opening his mouth to talk, to argue, to think of an excuse that would have been at least  _ slightly  _ believable; but before he could say anything, before Sojiro could continue lecturing them, the bell by the door rung. A small, red-haired figure pushed the door open and walked into the cafe, looking around at their stunned faces before sitting next to Goro, taking the cup from his hands and drinking the coffee all in one go.

“Phew!” She said, putting the empty cup on the counter with a little  _ clink _ . “That was good!” 

They all stared. Akira wondered, wildly, how could the girl have woken up so early, not even close to the deadline set for them by Medjed. Sojiro and Goro were still gaping at her; Goro’s hand halfway up, the way he’d been holding the cup before she took it away from him, ready to take a sip. 

“F-Futaba? You’re awake?” Sojiro stammered. “You came here by yourself?”

“Yep.” The girl smiled up at him, and then tilted her head. “‘S’ there a problem?” 

“W-What…? No…” Sojiro mumbled, and then moved a little to the side, rubbing at his eyes under his glasses. Akira looked over at the man, smiling softly to himself; and then, his eyes met Futaba’s. Akira sighed, gently covering Goro’s hand with his own and pushing it down from the awkward pose. 

“I’d love some curry tonight, Sojiro!” Futaba chimed, once she had nodded at Akira, barely perceptibly. “Bring some for me once you close up?”

“Huh…? Curry, I… yes, sure. Whatever you like.” Sojiro nodded, still looking stunned. Futaba grinned at him and jumped up from the chair, looking back at the two of them. 

“Come on.” She said quietly, once Boss turned away again. “We need to talk.”

 

* * *

 

“...so, uh, aren’t you going to sit?” 

Futaba led them out of Leblanc and back to Boss’s house, letting them into her room without many words exchanged. Goro had asked her how was she feeling, and received a shrug in return. And then, Futaba sat on her computer seat and gestured the two of them to sit on the bed opposite from her. Goro did, while Akira remained standing, looking around the small, extremely cluttered room. 

He looked at the orange-haired girl now, and at how tense Goro was, waiting for questioning, for accusations, for  _ something _ . But Akira  _ knew  _ Futaba, knew her even if she didn’t know it yet. And the look he saw on Futaba’s face told the raven neither he nor Goro had anything to worry about. He shook his head softly and gestured vaguely towards the room.

“Y’know what, I have a compulsory need to clean when I’m in here, so I’m just going to do  _ that _ , and you two can talk.” He said. Futaba blinked at him.

“You’re gonna clean my room.” She repeated. Akira nodded. 

“You’re gonna clean my room for me, just like that.” She said again, as if wanting to make sure. Akira shrugged. 

“Any objections?” He asked.

“Hell no.” Futaba grinned, before sighing as she looked back at Goro, resting her chin against the backrest of her chair. “Okay.” She said, settling herself in more comfortably. “You better start talking.” 

As Akira bustled about, getting Futaba’s room back into… well, not strictly speaking  _ order _ , but less of a mess, he listened to what Goro was saying intently. Futaba listened in silence, very rarely punctuated by questions, sometimes to Goro and sometimes to Akira, when she wanted to confirm something. A lot of what the brunet had to say was what Akira had already known; though hearing it from his boyfriend in a low, quiet, defeated voice was heartbreaking. 

Slowly, as minutes and then hours ticked away, Goro had told the two of them  _ everything _ . He told them about his mother; about the miserable childhood he had, about the day he had come home to find his mother dead in a pool of blood. About the foster homes, though he skimmed over the abuse and neglect Akira knew was there. About the time when, two years ago, he came to Tokyo to look for his  _ father _ , and discovered not only him, but the whole new  _ world _ hidden right alongside their own. About deciding to offer Shido his services, and about how the man had been the only source of guidance and information in the frightening, confusing world of the Metaverse. About how, one day, Goro had been tasked for the first time with not only procuring information or turning a Shadow psychotic, but with  _ killing  _ the Shadow. About how Shido had assured him this will only result in temporary coma, and how Goro forced himself to believe that, even though deep down, he had to know it was bullshit. 

And then, about how he found Wakaba in the dark, winding corridors of the Mementos, pulled out his gun and fired before he could let himself think about it. And how, after he had come out, exhausted and barely alive from a brush with Shadows too strong for him to handle alone, Shido had found him and shown him exactly what he had done. 

It didn’t matter afterwards, Goro had said. He was already a killer. He already had blood on his hands. What did it matter, how much more of it was going to get there? Oh, he had tried to excuse himself, he said, of course he did. He’d tell himself he was only killing Shadows; they’re just Shadows, they’re not human. He had no choice; and anyway, it wasn’t his fault, was it?

“Only… there’s only so much you can tell yourself.” Goro said quietly, staring at his bare hands. “There’s only so far you can run; and no matter how far you run, you’ll always catch up to yourself. I killed your mother, Futaba-chan. Not a day had passed since where I wouldn’t regret what I did. My regret and my guilt will not bring her back, however, nor mitigate the pain and misery this has caused you. You are too kind to me even just by allowing me to explain myself. I was convinced you’d hate me, knowing what I am, what I have done.” 

Quietly - finally done with his cleaning - Akira sat down next to his boyfriend. Futaba wasn’t looking at them; her eyes were obscured by her bangs, and she was chewing her lip. And then, just as suddenly as she marched into Leblanc today, she turned around on her chair and started to type furiously on her computer. 

“You guys have troubles with Medjed, right?” She said, punching in some code in what looked like five programs at once. “I’ll take care of that for you. What do you want me to do with them? I can wipe them out if you feel like it, I don’t care.” 

“Wait… what?” Goro blinked, staring at the back of her head. Futaba sighed, slumping on her chair.

“...listen.” She said quietly. “I… can’t say I like you, Akechi. What you did, I… it’s hard to wrap my head around it. But, see… I’ve been listening in on the conversations you had at Leblanc for a long time. And… well, I dunno. You killed my mum, and for that I  _ really  _ want to…to make you  _ hurt _ .  _ So much _ . But… you also protected Sojiro. You made the Phantom Thieves heal my heart. You saved my life even, back then, in the pyramid. It’s hard to… it’s hard to hate you. Especially since now I know that you didn’t  _ want  _ to do it, at least. I hate the bastard who manipulated you into killing her a whole lot more, that’s for sure.” 

She stopped, sighed and slowly turned around once again, to face them.

“There’s… also one more reason why I don’t  _ want  _ to hate you.” She said quietly. “Thinking my mum hated me… thinking I killed her… Feeling completely and utterly alone in the world, to the point where it felt like the only way to be… I understand that feeling,  _ painfully  _ well. I felt it too, and… You’ve already figured out I’m a hacker. Well I never killed anyone, but… I hurt people without thinking, too. I didn’t care. I wanted to find out about my mum’s research and her death, and so I did whatever it took to reach that goal. We’re… really similar in that, aren’t we?” 

“It’s like you’ve said, Futaba-chan.” Goro said, in a voice that was raised in protest. He looked… stunned, Akira thought as he looked at him. Goro’s expression brought to mind an expression of someone who has been bracing themselves for impact that never came. “ _ You  _ never killed anyone; I’m–”

“If I knew what you did yesterday and had the power to kill you, I probably would have.” Futaba said quietly. “If I could find the bastard who killed my mum and planned all this, and made these people come and blame it on me, I’d have killed him. Now… I don’t know. I still want to have my revenge on whoever put me through this… but that’s not you. You helped me. And you want to get the bastard who’s behind all that, right? So I’m gonna work with you. The rest of it, we’ll make up as we go along. I’m not saying I’ll be your best buddy right away, but… I’m not gonna hate you, either. Cause, you know what? I don’t think my mum would want me to.” 

And then, she turned around again and started to type away; and Akira smiled, wrapping a gentle arm around Goro. He could feel his boyfriend shake; in relief and regret and gratefulness and so many more overwhelming emotions. Akira knew Goro was trying not to cry. 

“I’m sorry, Futaba-chan.” He managed to choke out, after a long moment. She nodded absentmindedly. 

“Uh-huh. I got that. Let’s… leave it for now, okie-dokie? Now get yourself together and tell me what we do with Medjed.” 

Slowly, both Goro and Akira sat up straight, with Goro trying his best to wipe a stray tear or two away. He shook his head with a soft, humourless laugh. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you  _ exactly  _ what we do with Medjed.” And then, he sighed. “Though I suppose  _ first  _ we should consult with the rest of the team. I owe them an explanation.” 

“I’ll text them; we’ll meet at Leblanc in say, half an hour? If everyone’s free?” Akira asked, pulling his phone out. Futaba let out a quiet groan, shrinking on her seat.

“...do I have to come too? We could do a video chat or something… or maybe just voice chat…” She started, only to deflate once she caught Akira’s eye. “Ugh,  _ fine _ … but I’ll come later, okay? Once  _ he _ ,” She pointed at Goro, “Is done talking about all that… stuff. I’ll pass on listening to all that again, thanks.” 

“Believe me,” Goro smiled without a shred of humour, “I’m not looking forward to going through all that again myself.”


	39. Out in the Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro reveals the truth to the Phantom Thieves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update, and a very happy birthday to my two precious little brothers without whom this story would not have existed <3 Spoof, Nate, I love you two <3
> 
> EDIT: This chapter now has a companion piece! You can read it [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18224693)
> 
> Quick warning that chapter 39,5 is NSFW, though because it contains no plot or character development, you also definitely don't lose any of the story by not reading it :) If you're underage or just not feeling like reading smut today, please give it a rest! For the rest of you, enjoy ^^

Akira never really thought of how quiet his attic could be.

There were always some sounds. Whether it was his phone buzzing with messages, his friends talking while visiting him, even just Morgana purring or instructing him on how to do pull-ups on the beam; there was always  _ some  _ sound to be heard.

In comparison, the silence felt all the more jarring now. It had fallen right after Goro finished speaking, and filled the attic, enveloping the Phantom Thieves gathered there as if in a thick, ominous fog. The silence was nigh absolute; so much so they could hear people walk outside on the streets; could hear the gentle sounds of Leblanc downstairs. 

They were all sitting around the table, apart from Akira who sat on the bed, texting with Futaba. He only half-focused on the girl’s messages, though; he was listening, intently, cataloguing the information his boyfriend gave them, making sure he was now entitled to  _ know  _ everything he remembered from the first time he had discovered it. He was watching Goro as the boy sat there, on the chair, among the Phantom Thieves but somehow singled out from them. Most of them didn’t even look at him; they looked at one another, down on the table's surface or looked at their hands. 

The silence grew heavy, and Akira saw Goro’s shoulders hunch slightly, as if he was bracing himself for a hit. 

God, he wanted to comfort him; to stand up, walk close and hug him, and protect his boyfriend from the whole world. But this, they both agreed before the Phantom Thieves showed up, was something Goro needed to go through alone. It wasn’t easy for him to tell his friends he had been lying to them for months; that he had been wearing a mask, hiding the person he truly was behind it. That all the things they’ve seen on the news, all the things they worried about even despite him assuring it wasn’t a problem, had been his doing. 

He had told them everything, under heavy questioning - mostly Makoto’s, who seemed the most disbelieving of what Goro was saying. He told them about his past; about Shido, about the intricacies of the man’s network of high-ranked people he bribed or threatened or bullied into serving him. About his own position there, though it took Akira’s quiet intervention for Goro to share just how much working for Shido had cost him. Ryuuji and Yusuke grew white as sheets when the brunet finally told them, in a dejected voice, about the beatings and fear that became his constant companion ever since he started working for the man. 

And then, he had told them what they already knew. About meeting Akira for the first time, about getting pulled into the whole Phantom Thieves situation - and about discovering that he didn’t need to  _ kill  _ Shadows to make a lasting effect on them. More importantly, he told them how he had realized, to his shock, there was a group of people willing to take someone like himself in. A group of people he could help; people who didn’t seem to mind he was… well,  _ him _ , even if they only knew an edited version of himself. And about Akira; Akira, who for the first time since Goro had remembered, made him think that perhaps there was a chance for him. That perhaps he didn’t need to continue down this vicious spiral of violence and regret. That maybe revenge wasn’t the goal, but rather the boulder obstructing his future. 

And that perhaps, there was someone out there willing to care for him, even knowing about all he had done. 

And now, the brunet had gone silent, and for a long, excruciating moment, no one said anything. Akira sat up, walking towards the table, standing behind Goro’s chair. The familiarity of this position almost made him smile. Goro used to stand behind his own chair like this, back in that other future, when he had so briefly joined their team. And now, their positions were reversed, and they both waited for the Phantom Thieves to react. 

“...so.” Ryuuji finally said, stretching in his seat on the couch and almost dislodging Morgana who perched on it beside him. Somehow, Akira thought Ryuuji might be the first one to speak. “What I gather is, we go find that Shido bastard and beat his ass like five times over, yeah?”

Goro’s head jerked up. Akira couldn’t see it from his position, but he knew he was staring incredulously at the blond, who was now grinning at the two of them. It felt like a ripple of relaxation ran around the room, easing down some of the tension in it. Everyone took a slightly deeper breath. 

“Don’t be an idiot, Ryuuji.” Makoto said sharply, and Akira saw Goro nod to himself, tensing up again when he looked at her… only to gasp in surprise when the initial sternness fainted into a bleak little smile as Makoto smoothed out her skirt. “We can’t just charge into a Palace which we already know, from Goro-kun’s explanation, is a place more dangerous than any we’ve encountered so far. First of all, we need to make sure we have all sufficiently rested after our last heist, and make good, coherent plans. I wonder if we could work on our own map of the place, with what knowledge we already have on it, it would be so much better to know what we’re getting into before we happen to find a map inside…”

“What are you–” Goro started softly, looking from Makoto to Ryuuji. Ann was frowning and not looking at him, but she nodded, her eyes focused on Makoto. 

“You’re right.” She said, interrupting him. “If we knew from the start where the Treasure is and what needs to be done to get to it, that would let us strategize a lot more before we even get inside the Palace, wouldn’t it? We’d need to know what Shadows appear there, too… I mean, if there are going to be a lot of the ones that are going to try and throw status ailments at us, like at Futaba-chan’s, then we’ll need some more special items, right? I don’t think there are a lot of these things you used during our last fight left, are there, Akira?” 

“Now wait just a moment, why would you–” Goro started again, in a somewhat weak voice, and this time, it was Akira who interrupted him with a little smile. 

“Yes, I suppose we could do with some additional shopping, especially if we knew what we’ll be up against. It’d do us good to know which of you will be least vulnerable to the kind of magic the Shadows in there might use…”

“Good point.” Morgana nodded, jumping onto the table. “There’s one more thing: Futaba. I’ve never seen a Persona like hers, so we’d need to ask her if she’d like to join us and make at least one or two trips to Mementos to try her out…” 

“Oh, I think she won’t have a problem with that. She’s already said she wants to work with us.” Akira grinned. “Shido was the guy who was behind her mother’s death, after all. She wouldn’t pass a chance like that.” 

“Right, and the bastard’s the one who’s behind your probation, isn’t he?” Ryuuji nodded, cracking his knuckles. “So what do you say people, let’s… uh, give ourselves what, a week? That’s enough, yeah? And we can go in.” 

“Did you hear  _ anything  _ I’ve just said, Ryuuji?” Makoto sighed, shaking her head. “A week, for at least a few trips to Mementos, shopping, planning, strategy meetings, perhaps some time for Yusuke to draw that map for us…”

“I can do that right away.” Yusuke hummed, pulling out a sketchbook and looking expectantly at Goro, who was watching the group talk with his mouth open. There was a moment’s silence, and then the artist cleared his throat. “Goro…? The general outline of the place, if you remember it, please?” 

“...what are you talking about?” Goro replied hoarsely, not looking at Yusuke. “I’ve just told you–”

“We heard what you’ve told us.” Makoto snapped, looking down at her hands again. “I won’t pretend it doesn’t… hurt. Or that it doesn’t make me angry. I trusted you, and I feel… cheated, when I remember how you just… lied about knowing what’s happening, about this  _ Black Mask _ Kaneshiro had mentioned and everything. But…” She hesitated, and then simply shrugged, shaking her head. 

“I thought we were friends.” Ann said quietly. She, too, wasn’t looking at him. “I thought you knew us all well enough not to… keep all that away for so long. Damn it, Goro, do we really look like the kind of people who wouldn’t try to understand? I’m not okay with what you’ve done, but, hell…”

“Yo, Ann, please don’t swear, it sounds weird.” Ryuuji shook his head. And then he shrugged, looking up at Goro. “And look, mate, what that fucking bastard did to you?  _ That’s  _ not okay, you got me? Hell, do you think I’d do any different, if I didn’t have my mum to look after? And if I didn’t have Akira there, and you, and Mona leading the way? And Ann, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have killed Kamoshida if he laid his hand on Shiho. And you wouldn’t need anyone manipulating you into it, would you?”

Ann looked slowly up and caught Goro’s eye. Her eyes were uncharacteristically cold and serious; Akira had never seen her look so  _ sure  _ of anything. 

“I’d have killed him.” She said. “Unless I had a way to hurt him even  _ more  _ than just taking his life.” 

“There you have it.” Ryuuji shrugged. “I’m not okay either, with all that shit. Hell, it’s gonna be awkward as fuck from now on, until we can somehow… work through this. But I’m not gonna pretend like you’re some evil bastard for doing all that, and that ‘cause I know you, and I know you ain’t one, buddy. And if Futaba doesn’t mind you staying on the team, then none of us here has any right to bitch about it.” 

“I personally find the fact you are even considering the idea of us turning our backs to Goro offensive.” Yusuke said sharply, crossing his arms. “Regardless of everything else he had done, he is still the same person who had helped me; helped all of us, risking his own life. He had almost lost it just few days ago, trying to right a wrong he had done. I don’t think there is any need to even discuss it further.” 

“You know…” Morgana said, walking slowly across the table to sit in front of Goro. “Akira had told me once… uh… how bad it was for you, not having anyone there. After you’ve discovered the Metaverse, with a Persona that was too strong for you, and without…” He hesitated. Akira leaned in, resting a gentle hand on Goro’s shoulder. 

“Without a Morgana there to guide you.” He said. Morgana cleared his throat in embarrassment. 

“Well… y-yeah. I mean, how  _ would  _ you know what happened when you killed a Shadow…? And I mean, I don’t know the guy, but if someone is capable of using a teenager as some sort of a mercenary, that’s gotta be a scary enough person that would make you… feel like you didn’t have a choice. And… like Makoto said, when you  _ did  _ have a choice, you picked the right thing. And moreover… you’ve never hurt any of us. You saved all of our lives more times than we can count by now, in a thousand little ways. That doesn’t make the other things alright, but… honestly? I don’t care. See, Akira’s… a really good guy, and he’s my friend, and he took me in and took care of me even though he didn’t have to. And you make him happy. So I’m not gonna start acting like you’re some sort of a villain because I know you’re not, Goro. We all do.” 

Around the table, there were nods and smiles; some less and some more hesitant. And then, Akira felt Goro shudder under his hand and leaned down, wrapping him in a tight hug; and felt Yusuke, Ann, and then Ryuuji and Makoto and even Morgana join in it, wrapping themselves around Goro who was trembling and sobbing in the middle of it all. Makoto, being on the outer sides of the group hug, moved her head a bit and reached her hand out, gently patting Goro’s head.

“You were this afraid we’re going to hate you, weren't you, Goro-kun?” She asked gently; and Akira could feel the group hug tighten around the sobbing boy when Goro somehow managed to nod his head in reply to that. He smiled and closed his eyes, feeling his heart grow lighter than it has been for weeks. Somewhere in the tangle of all of their bodies, Goro’s hands found him and wrapped back around him, pulling him even closer. 

Somewhere in the crowded space behind Goro’s back, Akira managed to pull out his phone and type a quick message to Futaba.

 

**Floofhead:** you might want to start on getting over here :) 

 

* * *

 

“So… um. Medjed.” 

Goro’s voice was still choked up from crying. It took Futaba showing up, sneaking into the attic and curling up on the far end of Akira’s bed for the Phantom Thieves to stop cuddling and, later on, jokingly nuzzling and nudging Goro,  for them to finally let go. They spread around the attic once more, looking much more relaxed and happy and throwing curious glances at Futaba. Goro himself needed a few more minutes to fully calm down, which he did while sitting on the bed with Akira, leaning his back against the raven’s chest while Akira had his arms wrapped gently around his waist. 

Even just in their sitting arrangement, Akira could see there was something different about their group after Goro’s confession. Everyone sat slightly farther away, but it still felt like they’re all here together. And if there were still some apprehensive looks thrown towards Goro, and if as they were talking, some of the Phantom Thieves seemed to feel more comfortable addressing Akira rather than both of them - well. They still reacted much better than either of them could expect. Akira understood it will take time until the Thieves will once more become fully comfortable around Goro. As long as there was no hostility, he was not going to complain; on the contrary, he’d call himself lucky. 

Goro’s way of speaking changed ever so subtly, too. His voice was quiet, almost meek; but he was smiling, genuinely smiling. Akira felt his expression turn soft as he rested his chin on Goro’s shoulder, feeling simple happiness of having him here, with him, with no secrets between them anymore. 

“Yes, Medjed.” He nodded quietly, looking to the side at Futaba, who was studiously not looking at any of them. “Futaba said she can take care of that for us?”

“Yep! No problem.” 

“Dude, they’re like… an international group of crazy hackers.” Ryuuji frowned, only to tilt his head when Futaba shrugged. 

“Nah… at first, it was just me.” She said, waiting for the gasps and surprised exclamations to die down before continuing. “I was Medjed, originally. Now I’m just Alibaba. Got bored with the whole Hacker of Justice stuff. I can hack them and throw the police a bone while at it. Piece of cake.” 

“The thing is…” Goro started, and then hesitated for a moment when everyone fell silent, turning their attention on him. “Well… um. The… organization which has, just recently, waged war upon the Phantom Thieves… that’s not Medjed.” 

“How do you mean that?” Futaba’s eyes narrowed. She looked at Goro now, albeit soon went back to looking at her phone instead. Goro cleared his throat.

“I have told you almost everything; now that you know the story, you should know what plans Shido has for the future. This fake Medjed’s declaration of war was his idea. He had one of his hackers do the work; from what I understand it was quite problematic. No matter what we do - even if we do absolutely nothing - Medjed will fall to the Phantom Thieves. That way, Shido will sky-rocket our popularity.” 

“I thought the bastard was a baddie.” Ryuuji frowned, leaning forward. “Why is he trying to help us?” 

“Help us? Absolutely not.” Goro laughed with no humour in it and shook his head. “He’s building us up, so that he remains the only public figure denouncing us. Then, he will have… well…  _ me  _ kill our next target after we’re done with it. The Phantom Thieves will be branded as killers and he as the only person who saw them for what they were.”

“Dude, that’s sick.” Ryuuji mumbled, and Ann looked away, obviously appalled. Makoto let out a soft gasp.

“To manipulate the public opinion like that… that’s quite daring, if despicable. How can he be so sure it will work..?” 

“Oh, he has more plans; details on how to make the best of the situation. I know  _ some  _ things, but not everything.” Goro shook his head. “What I  _ do  _ know is that, after that fake Medjed is taken down, he will wait quietly until the Phantom Thieves get popular enough they will not be able to escape the public pressure to go into another heist. The popularity itself would also most likely be a corrupting factor for us, were we not forewarned. After all, we’d all of a sudden have the power to do anything, according to the public. We’d be public heroes number one! And then it would all go horribly wrong…”

“And what then?” Makoto asked, frowning. “I understand the premise, and the big for popularity; but how will it help Shido if we’re only… well, considered criminals once more?” 

“It’ll help him, because it’ll show how inadequate the current government is. Shido’s going to try and get the prime minister to resign; once that happens, elections are going to happen, and he intends to win it.”

“Win with what?” Makoto frowned again. “Just with denouncing us?”

Akira closed his eyes, shuddering. He could feel Goro tense under his hold, though it was hard to pay attention to anything else when he remembered just what happened that made Shido’s win almost certain, back then. About how one November day, he had been betrayed by the very boy who was resting in his arms right now…

“...Makoto-san.” Goro said quietly, weighing his words. “Do you know your sister has a Palace?” 

There was silence; everyone turned to stare at Makoto. The girl herself didn’t look away; she didn’t even look surprised. She matched Goro’s gaze, nodding carefully.

“Yes.” She said. “I know.” 

“It isn’t a coincidence she has one. Oh, the fact she was  _ capable  _ of having one was rather coincidental; but the cultivation of Sae-san’s Palace was a deliberate deed, done by the SIU director, who is also one of Shido’s accomplices… and by myself.” He looked away, clenching his jaw tightly for a moment. “That… Palace… is a trap. Sae-san has been put in charge of the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdown cases as someone I’d be, theoretically, at any moment able to easily manipulate or even get out of the way, using her Palace. Now, she is a living trap for the Phantom Thieves. Once everything goes wrong and our group panics, trying to stave off the investigation that is threatening to bring us down, trying to change Sae-san’s heart will be the obvious course of action, won’t it? And there I’ll be waiting, with police force easily transported into the Metaverse with me, ready to ambush the Phantom Thieves.” 

_ ‘Ready to kill me’,  _ Akira thought. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine. 

“At least…” Goro said, into the sudden silence. “That was Shido’s plan. He didn’t account for several things while planning it, of course. Like the fact Sae-san has become my mentor and my friend… at least until they had made the distortion in her take control. Like the fact I  _ am _ , in fact, one of the very Phantom Thieves I am supposed to be trying to arrest and dump blame on. And like the fact that  _ my  _ goal is no longer to blindly obey his orders, but to bring him down.”

“But… you won’t kill anyone.” Ann said quietly. Goro looked at her. “Even before Makoto’s sister becomes that trap you’re talking about… How will it work, if you will refuse to kill the person we’ll theoretically target?” 

“That’s…” Goro sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know who it is, when will it be… I don’t know yet. I will  _ not  _ kill anyone, though. Not ever. I don’t know if you’ll believe me; hell, I don’t expect you to. But… I will never again hurt anyone. And when the time comes when I’m supposed to, according to Shido… well. I’ll think of something. We all will, I hope.” He smiled faintly. Akira felt pride swell in his chest.

“I would still like us to help my sister.” Makoto said quietly, looking down at her hands. “That is the actual reason I joined the Phantom Thieves. In order to help her, eventually.” 

“Of course we will.” Goro said seriously. “It is partially my fault, that the Palace had formed in the first place. I will do my utmost best to help you, and Sae-san. You have my word for that.” 

Makoto smiled at him gently and nodded. 

“That’s a topic for later, though. We have other things to busy ourselves with… and I’d rather we were all fully focused when time comes to help my sister.” 

“That’s it for the topic, then.” Morgana nodded, stretching beside Ryuuji and hopping onto the table again. “Back to Medjed - I get it’s a fake one, but we  _ should  _ probably do something with it anyway, right? Futaba, can we count on you?”

“I already told you I can take care of it.” Futaba shrugged, looking at the wall. “Especially if it’s some noob, and not a proper hacker.” 

Akira felt Goro stir in his arms; and then, as he let him go a bit, saw the brunet  _ smile _ . It was an honest smile, even a mischievous one; and Goro’s eyes  _ glinted  _ as he looked over at Futaba.

“...that’s just it.” He said, with an edge of excitement. “Futaba-chan, would Medjed hackers, the real ones, recognize it if someone from the outside hacked them and put up that declaration of war? I mean, do they know it’s not really them?” 

“Probably? Code’s a pretty good way of checking who’s been messing about in it. I mean…” She waved her hands. “Ugh, let’s just say, they’ll know it’s someone from the outside. Especially if they’re clumsy and not very skilled.”

“Why aren’t they acting, then?” Akira asked. It had always surprised him back then, that the real Medjed didn’t try to at least distance itself from the squabble. Futaba shrugged again.

“Couldn’t say. It’s a pretty open organization, y’know? Even I don’t know all the members. I guess they just find it amusing, or think some newer member is messing around. They’re not exactly Hackers of Justice anymore.” 

“Perhaps we should mitigate that.” Goro said, eyes shining. “There are many ways in which you can hack a website, aren’t there?” 

Futaba tilted her head. 

“...yeah?”

“And there would be  _ some  _ ways that would make it obvious a  _ really  _ skilled hacker did them? Just as there are ways to show one is a clumsy one?”

“Yeah, what’s your point?” Futaba was frowning now.

“ _ Wonderful _ .” Goro nodded to himself, moving away from Akira’s arms and standing up. He was grinning now, looking around the room with excitement of a new heist shining in his eyes. His voice was no longer meek and soft, either; and Akira saw as the rest of the Phantom Thieves leaned forward, listening intently. Goro’s excitement was contagious. With a smile, Akira realized that their Crow was back.

“I think I have an idea of just how we can deal with Medjed, then.” 


	40. Darkening Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves make their move in the Medjed case. Meanwhile, Futaba's resocialization is underway, and Akira has a hard time coming to terms with the new state of their group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hina drew artwork for this chapter!!! Thank youuuuuu ;;
> 
> You can see it [here!](https://twitter.com/midoriyaizuhugs/status/1101712524280516609?s=20)

_Akira stood on the street in front of Leblanc, blinking in the sunlight that blinded him after exiting the cafe._

_Why was it so bright? He could have sworn it was the late afternoon by the time they finished discussing Goro’s plan and the Phantom Thieves had left… Futaba asked Sojiro for curry, and Yusuke took Morgana with him, after Goro offered to stay… no, but surely..._

_The warm, golden sunlight was flooding the streets. Perhaps he was misremembering; perhaps he was remembering the future again. Surely, they were just now gathering at Leblanc, to listen to Goro’s confession… and the Phantom Thieves will accept him, of course, he was their friend. Yes; this had to be it. He simply got lost in his recollections. The two timelines twisted together so often, it was easy to lose focus sometimes._

_Then again, that didn’t quite make sense. Memories swirled and escaped from his mind the moment he tried to focus on them. All he knew was this straight, empty street; and in front of him, the backs of his friends, marching together, laughing and with their arms around one another. Goro was there, in the centre, laughing helplessly at something one of them had said. Futaba walked backwards in front of him, grinning as if just done telling a joke. Ann and Makoto were to the sides, leaning on the brunet, and Yusuke was a little to the back, framing the picture in-between his fingers._

_“Hey, wait for me!” Came a familiar yell from behind Akira, and he turned just in time to be bumped into by a running Ryuuji. The blond yelped and jumped few paces, trying to keep his balance. He looked over at Akira with unseeing eyes, grinning apologetically._

_“Sorry buddy, didn’t see you there!” He said, sprinting off towards the group before Akira could react. The raven stood there, staring, with the sinking feeling in his stomach, at the Phantom Thieves laughing and talking to one another, teasing Ryuuji for being late, oblivious to Akira’s presence. He wanted to call out, but his voice froze in his throat; his feet would not move as he watched his friends walk away from him._

_“Nya!”_

_Akira looked down. Beside him, Morgana sat on the warm pavement, cleaning his paw. He looked up at him again, blue eyes wide and intelligent. He opened his mouth, and Akira was sure he’ll hear the cat talk; but all he heard was…_

_“Nya! Nya, nya nya.”_

_Morgana huffed and stood up, skipping towards the group. Akira watched as the cat jumped, right into Goro’s waiting, open bag, joining in the merriment._

_“That’s all of us, then.” He heard Goro say, in a soft, happy voice. “Where should we go?”_

_“Nya!”_

_“We can’t always go for sushi, Mona!” Ann chuckled, shaking her head._

_They laughed; and Akira turned his eyes away, feeling tears prickle at the corners of them. He was wearing his uniform now, he could see that. He closed his eyes, looking inside himself. Yes, his Personas were still there, but they were silent. He thought they might be embarrassed to still linger within someone like him. Not one of them was truly unique; Arsene was gone, long before exchanged for someone else, who seemed more important, more useful at the time. By now, Akira was nothing more but a backup of all the Personas Goro himself could wield with ease. He opened his eyes again, watching his friends’ backs._

_He was no longer of any use to them; he was no longer needed. Hence, he has been forgotten; thrown away, like a crutch after you no longer need it to walk._

_The view before his eyes swirled and twisted; he was entering the Metaverse, but why? The familiar, sunset sky burned into his eyes for just a moment, and then he was already inside the rusty, damp bowels of the ship, running towards the familiar room. Once again, the metal he sprinted over sent a thousand echoes of his steps into the air, shattering the silence. This time, Akira knew he had his team at his back, running with him - but that knowledge didn’t give him any relief._

_There was one missing; one set of footsteps was not there behind him. He sped up._

_The engine room; the two figures, surrounded by Shadows. Goro’s eyes, not defeated and pleading now, but_ scared _as he looked over at Akira, called out his last wish._

_No way, Akira thought, lunging forward; he grabbed Goro’s arm and pulled him back, saw him stumble before getting caught by the Phantom Thieves. Saw how they embraced him, heard their worried shrieks and yells and questions whether he was alright and why did he have to be so reckless?! Akira smiled._

_And then, the metal curtain rose, cutting the sight from his view and making him freeze with dread. Slowly, Akira looked over at the cognitive Akechi, looking at him with a cruel smile in his dead, bloody crimson eyes._

_“...well.” The puppet said, raising his gun once more. “As long as one is sacrificed… Perhaps it’s best if it’s the one that won’t be missed.”_

_Bang!_

 

Akira bolted upright on the bed, his whole body shaking as his eyes darted feverishly around the dark, quiet attic. He couldn’t control his breathing. It came out in sharp little pants, almost wheezes, and Akira felt his hands claw over his chest and face, twisting in his hair as he searched for blood, for a wound somewhere…

“Akira?”

Strong, warm arms wrapped around him; Akira saw the face he had just seen in his dreams, pointing a gun at him. He reacted without thinking, pushing Goro away hard enough the brunet almost fell off the bed.

“Get away from me!” He shrieked, trembling, trying to understand how did he get there, where was he, what was the reality around him this time. For a long moment, there was stunned silence. Then, he felt hands, gentle hands cupping his cheeks, making him look up.

Goro’s eyes were open wide, brimming with _life,_ with affection and concern. It was impossible to mistake him for the puppet he had seen in his nightmare. Akira understood that now. He felt guilt surge through him; and then, raising confusion. He had no idea what was happening anymore.

“Hey… it’s me. Shhh, it’s alright. It’s me, Akira.” Came a soft, gentle voice. Akira screwed his eyes shut and felt Goro come closer, felt him press a single, warm kiss against his forehead.

“I’m here.” Goro whispered, and this time, as his arms wrapped around him, Akira didn’t push him away. “No one will hurt you, Akira. It was just a bad dream. I’m here, and I’ll protect you, no matter what.”

Slowly, Akira’s hands dropped down and wrapped back around his boyfriend, pulling himself tightly against him. His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something; but instead, Akira shuddered, hid his face in the crook of Goro’s neck and started to sob.

 

* * *

 

“Do you want me to go down and make you some coffee?”

They haven’t slept. It’s been hours since Akira had stopped crying and was simply sitting there, snuggled close against Goro, listening to his lover’s heartbeat. Goro didn’t force him to talk. He asked, several times, what was wrong, of course. By the time Akira finally calmed down enough to respond to him, however, he was also calm enough to tell him he didn’t want to talk about it. Goro wasn’t happy, but he didn’t push. He simply resigned himself to holding Akira close, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead, his tear-stained cheeks, his lips, until the raven in his arms reciprocated the kisses and they settled back down on the bed.

It’s been growing light out when Akira had woken up from his nightmare. By now, hours later, it was early enough it didn’t make much sense for them to go back to sleep. Still, hearing Goro’s proposal, Akira couldn’t stop himself from snuggling closer to his lover. He didn’t want him gone. Here, now, wrapped up in Goro’s warm embrace, he could focus on so many things instead of what his nightmares had been about. Once Goro disappeared from his arms… what would he think of, to distract himself?

“No… besides, Boss’d kill you for touching his coffee machines.” He managed to murmur, in a raw, quiet voice. Goro chuckled, bumping their noses together.

“I need to ask him to teach me how to make a cup sometime.” He whispered. There was a moment’s silence, and then Goro sighed, nudging Akira’s cheek with his nose until the raven gave up and opened his eyes, looking into the brunet’s own.

“...it was bad, wasn’t it?” He asked quietly, one hand brought up to thread through Akira’s hair. “I heard you screaming, before you woke up. I thought it was in my own dream at first. When I finally came to, you were trashing on the bed…”

“Goro, can we…”

“We don’t need to talk about _what_ you dreamt of, if you don’t want to.” Goro shook his head, pressing one elegant finger over Akira’s lips. “But are you sure you’re okay? You know I don’t mind listening. I want to help you. The nightmares you’re having, they’re... strong, aren’t they? Back then, when you called me during the night… and then, when we were investigating Kaneshiro… I don’t want to leave you alone with nightmares that make you panic like that. I’m your boyfriend, after all.”

Goro smiled softly, and despite himself, Akira felt a tired smile tug on his own lips, too. Without meaning to, Goro said one phrase; just one phrase that felt like it soothed a night worth of panic and tears.

 _I don’t want to leave you alone_.

“I’m not alone.” He said, voice stronger now. “You’re here with me. I’ll be alright.” Akira smiled, leaning in for a kiss. It still felt salty with tears, but it didn’t matter. He was alright; he’ll be okay. It was just a bad dream. He just needs to keep telling himself that.

“If you’re sure about it…” Goro sighed, but Akira shook his head and slowly sat up again, taking Goro’s hand in his own and squeezing it lightly.

“I am.” He said. “Now, let’s get dressed and I’ll make us that coffee. You have work today, don’t you? And we’re still waiting on Futaba to finish up with her end of your plan…”

“Just make sure she doesn’t send anything by herself.” Goro smiled, nodding and sitting up as well, stretching on the bed. “We’ll meet up in the evening and decide when would be best to implement it. For now, I have a _lot_ of work and interviews piled up, so perhaps it would be prudent to wait…”

 _‘And perhaps I could use a little break. Not from you, but… a little break in which I can hang out with everyone, without you there. Just for a bit… I really want to be selfish like that, just for a while’_ Akira thought.

“Right.” He said out loud. “You’re planning to piss off one murderous politician bastard with bad temper management and an undisclosed amount of international-grade hackers. You better not have any interviews taking up your time once that message is sent.”

 

* * *

 

_To the true Medjed, who for too long contented itself with puny crimes and acts of violence committed in the name of true justice:_

_We are the Phantom Thieves of Hearts._

_We have seen through the ruse meant to frighten us into compliance._

_We have waited for the real Medjed to take action. As of today, our patience has run out._

_You have allowed yourselves to become corrupted. What is worse, however, is that you have allowed others to flaunt your name, waging war on the Phantom Thieves hidden by the anonymity of your organization._

_You have allowed outsiders to use you, and you have allowed them to further soil the name of Hackers of Justice you have corrupted so thoroughly already._

_We had expected Medjed to treat this as a sign to become once more the force that fights against the evils and the injustices in the society._

_We have been disappointed._

_As of today, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts declare this:_

_The false Medjed, using this name to wage war on us, beware. You shall be exposed and brought to justice._

_The real Medjed, who has become a menace to society rather than a force meant to reform it, who has become so weak and despondent as to let an outsider flaunt your name for their own gain:_

_We will steal your corrupted hearts._

_We are the Phantom Thieves._

_Expect us._

 

For a long moment, there was silence around the table in one of Leblanc’s booths. Ann finished reading and hid her phone in her pocket, looking at all of them. Around the table, grins started to form.

“That,” Ryuuji said, cracking his knuckles. “Was _awesome_.”

“Are we _sure_ about all this?” Makoto asked, for the umpteenth time.

They had talked about this at length yesterday, and Akira felt himself smile as he looked at the girl fidget on her seat. It was a risky plan, yes - or would be, were it not for him and Goro, and the knowledge they had. It was very simple too.

Futaba will break into the official Medjed page, just like she did in that other future; and just like she did in that other future, she’d plant a message from the Phantom Thieves there. Instead of simply hacking the page, though, she was going to make a _show_. She had explained it to them, once the basics of the plan came through and she became excited about it. It was all about code and support data and whatnot; Akira didn’t really understand what she was talking about.

The important thing was, she was going to do it in a way that will leave an impression on Medjed - the real one, not the one Shido had employed. And that impression would be: we have a very, _very_ skilled hacker on our side, kids. Do you really want to pick a fight with us?

Both Futaba and Goro thought it would work. In the worst case scenario, Medjed will remain quiet or try to hack them back. Futaba assured them they will not be able to track her, nor will they manage to find their identities if they tried. At best, they’ll stop acting out and go back to being the Hackers of Justice Futaba had created them to be. The _fake_ Medjed, they will take care of in due course. It’ll be easy, Goro said, it’ll only require Futaba to check one name he already had from an overheard phone call with Shido. That will anger the man, yes, but it will also make him more reckless. Shido was perfectly capable of throwing one of his lackeys to the sharks if they became a liability, and it won’t affect his overall plan badly enough to make him unpredictable.

More than anything, though, it will influence the society. The tables will be turned; the Phantom Thieves will be the ones holding all the cards, taking action, _protecting them_. The moment Akira had realized this, he jumped all for this plan.

If they could make the society believe in them - really believe, right from the start - perhaps Yaldabaoth would be stopped before he could even try to attack them. Perhaps they will win the false god’s crooked game without even trying too hard.

Perhaps he won’t need to see his friends disappear around him for the second time.

 _If they will still be your friends by then_ , a little voice in Akira’s head whispered. He ignored it and joined in the conversation once more.

“It’s as sound a truth as anything else.” He told Makoto, who smiled at him weakly. Ann and Ryuuji looked at one another and grinned, and even Morgana was swishing his tail excitedly.

“That’s what the Phantom Thieves should be all about!” The cat meowed happily. “Taking action… reforming crooked organizations… this is so much better than just letting Futaba hack them! We’ve gotten quite an addition to our group…”

“Speaking of which,” Yusuke said, leaning back on his seat. “Where _is_ Futaba?”

They all looked at the end of the table, where there waited a chair brought up besides their booth specifically so that the girl could sit down with the rest of them. Goro’s phone vibrated on the table and the brunet let out a little, exasperated sigh, picking it up. Akira leaned over his shoulder, reading the message, trying to ignore the insistent pang of jealousy that flared in his heart just like a message notification did on a mobile phone.

 

 **Alibaba:** I’m here, I’m here!

 

“Listening in on us hardly counts as _here_ , Futaba-chan.” Goro sighed, shaking his head. Around the table, there were little sniggers from the rest of their group. Ann had to cover her mouth to stop giggling.

 

 **Alibaba:** See, that is your opinion

 **Alibaba:** anyway

 **Alibaba:** when do you want me to post the thing?

 **Alibaba:** I wanna play it on the safe note so imma need a day or two more to make sure everything goes smooth

 **Alibaba:** but after that pretty much say a word and I’ll put it up

 

Goro finished reading out the messages and looked around the table. Yusuke cleared his throat.

“I’d be glad for a few days of leisure. There are things, I’m sure, every one of us needs to take care of.”

“I’ll be busy for the next week or so.” Goro nodded, leaning a bit more against Akira. “I want to report our plans - or at least, some version of them, some _hint_ of them, both to SIU and to _him_. It will gain me a lot of credibility, and, well… once the message does get up, I’ll…”

“You might not get beaten.” Akira said quietly, in a tense voice. Goro sighed, looking over at him and finding his hand under the table.

“Risks need to be taken. But, yes; if I make an effort to warn this man, so that he can be somewhat prepared, it should result in me being safer, along with me possibly gaining some more data about his future plans.”

“As long as you’re careful, Goro-kun.” Makoto looked at him with worried expression. Ryuuji nodded.

“Hell yeah, man. Even if we don’t get all that info, we’ll be fine, just don’t go around getting yourself hurt, m’kay?”

“Look at you, Ryuuji, making sense.” Ann grinned, elbowing him lightly in the side. The blond scowled at her.

“I think we all could use a break.” Morgana nodded with a content meow.

“It can’t take too long, though.” Ann said, leaning in. “We need to show we’re doing something. The deadline Medjed had set us is August 21st. That means we have nineteen days…”

Goro’s phone vibrated again, and this time it was Akira who stifled a laugh.

 

 **Alibaba:** give them like a week before the stupid cleanse day to set stuff right. just so we know they actually had the time to do something

 

“I say we should give them no more than that, either. Let them feel pressured.” Goro nodded, checking something on his phone. “That means.. The message should be up on August 14th. That’s Sunday. Can you post it Saturday night, Futaba? I would like it to be on every morning news reel on Sunday.”

 

 **Alibaba:** no problem, chief

 

Goro nodded. Akira tried hard not to roll his eyes at the _chief_.

“Until then, each of us should take care of their own business and let themselves rest up.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Akira nodded. “That gives us almost two weeks of freedom…”

“Right. I wish I could take you out on a date.” Goro smiled at him softly, shaking his head as he put his phone back on the table. “Only… I’ll be very busy during this time. With work, interviews, everything piled up… Who knew not being there for three days would make such a mess of my schedule. But afterwards… maybe we could find a day to go out?” He asked, squeezing Akira’s hand.

“Maybe, if we’re both free. I have stuff to take care of, too.” Akira sighed and leaned back on his chair.

“Oh… right, of course.” Goro nodded, looking slightly taken aback for just a second; and then, seemingly shaking himself off. He smiled mischievously, looking down at his phone.

“Besides, once the message to Medjed is sent and posted, we need to plan out one more mission.”

“Huh? What do you mean, man?” Ryuuji asked, tilting his head. Morgana jumped onto the table, nodding his head sagely.

“I know _exactly_ what you’re talking about, Goro. We healed Futaba’s heart, but now it’s time to get her back into the society. So let’s commence the plan to rehabilitate Futaba and get her to leave her room on daily basis!”

Goro’s phone vibrated wildly and shone with lights at the onslaught of new messages - and this time, all of the Phantom Thieves, even Akira, burst out laughing.

 

* * *

 

It felt nice, to have some free time again.

Akira didn’t even realize how _busy_ they were for the last few weeks. It felt like, ever since Kaneshiro, they didn’t have even a moment to breathe. First it was the man himself, the unnecessarily long investigation of his Palace. Then, they had school, work, exams, him and Goro trying to somehow date in between their busy schedules… Then Futaba appeared, and they had to tackle _her_ Palace, then Goro got hurt, then they were deliberating on how to take on Medjed…

So when, the next day after the meeting, Akira had woken up in his bed alone and without any set plan for the day, he felt downright _strange_.

Still, it really was nice. He finally had time for his friends - and tried to ignore the dark satisfaction he felt spending time with them while Goro was working, or on meetings, or doing interviews. He told himself this arrangement gave them both room to breathe, and only deepened the feelings they had for one another. There was definitely new warmth in Goro’s smile whenever he managed to tear away a few hours of the evening to stop by Leblanc for a cup of coffee and a chat. And their kisses were sweeter now, too, for there being less of them.

It had to be good for them, Akira thought, every time he stopped himself from writing to his boyfriend to tell him how much, how desperately he missed him.

And so, days passed fast. Goro closed off an important - though unrelated to the Phantom Thieves - case, and could breathe a little, as he confessed to Akira over a coffee. Makoto visited Kanda with Akira one evening, and hit it off with Hifumi so well the raven actually didn’t think either of them noticed when he left the church. Makoto had somehow became busy most evenings since. Akira felt truly happy for her, even if he did miss his shogi matches with Hifumi. Then again, it wasn’t like she could teach him a lot anymore. And he was quite certain she was happier now too.

He himself took it upon himself to finally return to Shinjuku, and start to properly work on his bonds with Chihaya and Ohya there. They will both need help in Mementos, he knew, and as their team had plans for some training there once Medjed gets taken care of and Futaba officially joins them, it would be good to assure they’ll have stuff to do down there.

Speaking of Futaba, she was taking a suspiciously long time tinkering and perfecting her attack at Medjed. Akira felt it was probably because she dreaded the commencement of their “resocialization plan” for her once she was done.

The opportunity to take this little, stolen bit of his life back for himself was just too tempting. He needed to wait a few days before Sojiro had a busy enough day at Leblanc to agree when Akira offered to bring Futaba her dinner, but it had finally happened. She seemed uneasy letting him in at first, but did so anyway, and Akira has been allowed to sit down on the bed while the girl wolfed down her curry.

“How’s the hack going?” Akira asked, after about half of it was gone. Futaba shrugged, looking up at him intently, and he let himself grin.

“You’ve been done with it ages ago, haven’t you.”

“No idea what you’re talking about!” The girl huffed through a mouthful of rice. Akira shrugged, a little smile playing on his lips.

“I’m not gonna rat you out, you know. I get it, letting people in is scary. I really do understand.” He said, and it seemed to placate her a little. Akira sighed, flopping back on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. It had fluorescent stars on it, he noticed. In that other future, Yusuke had once given him fluorescent stars. It was ridiculous how bitter that memory made him feel.

“Uh… Akira?” Futaba said quietly after a moment, and the raven shook himself off. God, why was he dwelling on such a stupid thing now? He was supposed to be bonding with Futaba here; and yet…

“Sorry, I… I got lost in thought.” He mumbled.

“Yeah.” She grinned sheepishly at him. “It’s contagious, methinks. Loverboy number two keeps getting lost in thought, doesn’t he? Gotta be real here, when I bugged Leblanc the first time I did not expect to be witness to some epic love story taking place, but boy did you deliver…”

She went on, to Akira’s somewhat embarrassed surprise, going on a tangent about _ships_ and _otps_ and _fluff_ and whatever else. He didn’t remember Futaba being this passionate right from the start about anything before - maybe except for Feathermen.

And then - long after the curry disappeared from her plate completely and Futaba has seemingly exhausted the topic of their overheard relationship - the girl smiled at him shyly and stretched on her chair.

“Y’know, Akira? Maybe I’ll try out that… uh… r-resocialization plan thingie. It’s not so bad, letting someone into your room from time to time.”

 

* * *

 

It took Futaba two more days to let them all know she had the message ready to be posted; and another few for the Phantom Thieves to agree how exactly should they go along with that _resocialization_ plan.

Finally, it was the day before the message was supposed to go online, and all of them were there; and Akira really, really wished they had managed to get to it earlier.

He tried to tell himself he was only feeling bad because he _knew_ how it went the first time, and was anxious it will not have the same effect. He really did. But Akira had to face the fact he was lying to himself.

God, he was jealous; not about any one, big thing, but about a thousand of very little ones. And behind that jealousy, behind that ugly, disgusting thing he _hated_ himself for feeling, there was fear. A memory of his nightmare, and a paralyzing, bone-deep terror that it might come to pass in real life, too.

And yet, he couldn’t ignore how Futaba laughed and started to banter with Yusuke from the very first day he, Akira, Goro and Makoto visited her in her room. All it took was Goro asking her to take a side in his own debate about anime with the artist. It went better than Akira could remember it; so much so, even Makoto managed to get into the conversation with the girl, and they hit it off discussing old reruns of Buchimaru-kun cartoon.

Then came the day spent in Akira’s attic, and it went only worse - because it was the day the Medjed message went off, and Goro was busy both at SIU and at Shido’s office. The news spoke of nothing but them, their plan was going well - and Futaba, having been left alone with Akira, Ryuuji and Ann, clammed up and sat there, eating snacks and looking uncomfortable without her laptop. Akira knew what was the problem, and he hated it; and he hated the fact that he did, because Futaba wasn’t _his_. She wasn’t a thing. She had no idea of that other future, the one in which she was as close to him as a little sister.

None of the Phantom Thieves had, and least of all of them Goro. None of them owed Akira their friendship. And he was only learning it now - and the hard way at that.

It wasn’t like he could even be mad at Goro for becoming the _key item_ instead of him. He was way too worried. All of them were. Ann and Ryuuji kept checking their phones, and even Morgana paced restlessly, asking now and then whether anyone heard from the boy.

When they finally had - with Goro climbing the stairs and smiling at them right from the entrance to the attic - Akira felt so ridiculously relieved he couldn’t stop himself from running up and kissing his boyfriend then and there, to the general groans and Goro’s muffled laughter. It went well, for now, he explained to them, even lifting his shirt a bit to demonstrate there were no bruises to fuss over. Their plan was progressing without a hitch.

There was a plastic edge to Goro’s smile as he said that, though; and Akira knew there was something the brunet was hiding from them. It made him panic, at first. What was Goro hiding from them again, now that everything should have been out in the open already? What was Shido asking him to do again, to make him smile in such a way? And yet, somehow, these thoughts stayed at the back of the raven’s mind. He didn’t push, and Goro had work in the morning, so he couldn’t stay; and Akira has been left feeling confused and unsure, and with feeling of dread growing in his gut.

The day of Futaba helping out at Leblanc didn’t make him feel any better. She didn’t even wear the ugly mask. Goro had been invited behind the counter with her, and they washed the dishes together. And, somehow, the brunet has been clumsy enough and willing to fulfill any silly order the girl would give him that Futaba became distracted, and didn’t even flinch when customers came in. And yes, she still struggled with serving them coffee, but it wasn’t _nearly_ as bad as when it was only Akira there.

The fact that it was Goro alone whom she had invited to Akihabara the next day was just the last straw. It hurt; and even when his boyfriend invited him to tag along, Akira couldn’t bring himself to feel better. He brushed off the invitation and went out to meet with Iwai, and then kill some time at the gym, just to get some steam out. Ryuuji had always said it worked wonders, after all; moving, tiring yourself out.

“...Akira? Is everything okay?”

The raven looked down from the dummy he has been pummeling shirtless, for a little while now. He tried not to think while training, and it worked, for the most part. The downside was… well. He tended to lose track of time. Morgana was looking at him, his head tilted, his blue eyes worried. Akira blinked down at him and tried to crack a smile.

“Yes? I’m fine. Did I get too much into beating the poor dummy?” He managed a laugh. Morgana frowned and jumped onto a stool.

“No, it’s just… you’ve been really cold to Goro today… for a few days already, actually. And you sound… really distracted, whenever you talk. And you were hitting that thing for a while now. You usually have enough after this much time. I don’t know, it just… feels like there’s something bothering you.”

Akira looked away, wrapping his arms around himself. He was… _cold_ towards Goro? Really? Well, they weren’t spending as much time with one another now they were both busy with their… well, no, there were times they were both free. A lot of these times. Akira remembered Goro trying to pitch that date idea, now they sent the message and he had a bit more free time, but every time he did that Akira…

Akira has been thinking of Futaba… or of how bad he felt for feeling jealous… or how scared he was of his friends leaving him behind…

“...there’s been a lot going on lately, Morgana.” He said - and stopped, shocked to feel the familiar, plastic edge in his own voice, where it didn’t belong. Morgana looked at him thoughtfully and shook his head.

“...let’s go home? That’s enough training for today.”

 

* * *

 

Akira was shocked to see it was dark already by the time he showered and left the gym, Morgana yawning in his bag. Leblanc should have been closed by now, he knew, and the more did the light coming from the door startle him as he neared the cafe.

Akira pushed open the door and stared. Behind the counter, in his apron, hair in a ponytail and tongue sticking out in concentration, Goro was making coffee. He was alone; there was no one else in the cafe.

And he was in _Akira’s_ place.

“...what do you think you’re doing?” He heard a cold, angered voice, and only as he watched Goro’s head whip up and his eyes widen in surprise did he realize the voice was his own. Akira looked away, trying to calm down.

 _You’re overreacting, shut up, shut up, shut_ **_up_ ** _…_

“Akira…? I… I’m just… I asked Boss to teach me…”

“You’re going to steal him away, too?”

It was as if he couldn’t control his mouth. The words flew out, unbidden; and there was nothing in the world that could pull them back. He saw Goro’s eyes widen and his hands shake as he set the cup of coffee he was holding on the counter. The silence between them was tense; so much so you could almost feel it against your skin.

“...what the hell is _wrong_ with you lately?” Goro whispered, and his voice broke; and as if that was what broke the spell, Akira felt the tension snap, and felt guilt flood him, chasing away anger and jealousy. God, what the hell? What the hell was he doing?

“...Goro… I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“I _knew_ something was wrong; ever since that damn nightmare, I _knew_ something just wasn’t right! You wouldn’t even _look_ at me like you used to, but… I tried to get you to talk, I really did, but I don’t know _how_ so I thought… I thought you’d _come to me_! I told myself it was just the strain, that you needed time, that it’ll pass, but… and today, do you know why I’m here?” Goro had tears in his eyes now; Akira felt too ashamed to even look at him. He felt his own eyes water, too.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered. “Goro, I really…”

“I’m here, because I thought it’d cheer you up if I knew how to make your favourite coffee. Like you always do for _me_.” Goro said, shaking his head. “Boss said he only lets me butcher his beans like I do because he noticed you’ve been down lately, too. But you just… won’t let others help, will you? You keep going on and on about how I should open up more, how I should let you help, but then you just… bottle everything up yourself, you hypocrite!”

He took off the apron and hanged it up, grabbing his briefcase as he walked out from behind the counter. Akira watched him, frozen in place. Goro paused once he got close to him, looking up into Akira’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Goro. I didn’t mean to… what I said, I…” Akira tried, though the words felt broken in his mouth. The brunet looked away.

“I’m not mad.” He said quietly. “I just… wish you trusted me.”

“I do! I trust you, it’s just…”

“It’s just, you trust me with everything except yourself.” Goro sighed. “Goodnight, Akira. I’m going home.”

The door opened and closed; the sound of Goro’s footsteps on the pavement faded into silence. In the stillness of Leblanc, Akira walked to the counter, as if in a daze. He took a sip of the coffee that was quickly growing cold; just like the cafe did, the moment Goro had left it.

Akira set the cup down on the counter again, gripping the polished wood tightly.

_What the hell… what the hell is wrong with me?_


	41. Priorities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira has to sort out his feelings, while the Phantom Thieves catch a little breather.

It was a terrible night.

Morgana had, for the first time in either timeline, resigned from forcing Akira to get some sleep. Instead, after a few of the cat’s careful questions were answered with monosyllables, he resigned and walked up the stairs by himself, leaving Akira slumped over the counter. 

He had finished the coffee Goro had made for him, even after it grew cold. Its bitterness stuck unpleasantly to Akira’s tongue. The blend was a clumsy version of Akira’s favourite, and the taste was bland. Goro had poured the water while it was still boiling, the raven could tell, and so the taste changed unfavourably. And yet, Akira drank every last sip, because even in the cold bitterness of the drink, there was warmth. 

One that stabbed through his heart and made him play Goro’s words to himself on repeat in his head, but still.

He had cleaned up and dragged himself off to sleep in the end, feeling strangely dazed. It was as if his mind had been filled with lint, catching onto his thoughts, making them slow down. There was just the miserable, burning feeling in Akira’s heart and the overwhelming self-loathing. 

Goro was right, of course. He knew he was. Akira just wished he didn’t have to argue with his boyfriend to realize that. 

He spent the night drifting in and out of uneasy dreams, and in the morning, he only felt worse. Sojiro was beaming at him from behind the counter, once Akira gave up on trying to sleep, dressed and walked downstairs for breakfast. 

“How was the coffee, kid? You’ve got yourself a stubborn boyfriend, I give you that; I never seen someone try so hard to concentrate while making coffee, not even–” The older man stopped and frowned, looking at Akira - at his reddened eyes and the way he avoided meeting his eye. Sojiro crossed his arms over his chest and pointed at the counter, and the empty seat by it.

“...alright, spill it, kid. What happened?” 

Slowly, Akira walked close and slipped into the seat, looking at the counter. He felt like a little child about to be lectured. What was he supposed to say? That they argued? They didn’t, not really. That he had a little outburst caused by the fact his life, all up until now, played pretty much according to what he knew was going to happen, now was suddenly off the rails? That  because of it, he ended up hurting the one person who really, truly cared about him and only wanted to help? As if he could say something like that…

“I… I said something stupid.” He said, finally. “And Goro left. I don’t blame him, honestly.” 

Akira sighed and folded his arms over the counter, resting his chin on them. 

“And the coffee was terrible. That must have been a really short lesson, he had no idea how to go about brewing it properly.” He smiled lightly, with an edge of bitterness to it. “I don’t think your blend holds a candle to it though, Boss.” 

Well, at least that got a chuckle out of the man. For a moment, Akira could feel Sojiro’s eyes on himself, watching him in silence. Then, the man moved towards the kitchen, starting to work on today’s batch of curry. 

“...so what’s that thing you said to him, kid, eh?” 

“It’s… I didn’t  _ mean  _ to say it…” Akira sighed. “I just felt so… Well, lately, whenever we meet up, all of us… I feel like I’m just Goro’s boyfriend to everyone. You know? Like I don’t… like I’m not… and then, I’ve seen him here, making coffee, and it was like… seeing him take that away, too. My place in Leblanc, you teaching me how to make coffee...” Akira sighed and buried his face in his arms.

“I told you, it was stupid.” 

To his surprise, he didn’t immediately get lectured. Instead, there was a little bit of silence; and then, he felt Sojiro’s hand, gentle and comforting, pat the top of his head. 

“I don’t think it’s stupid, kid.” The older man said, making Akira lift his head in surprise. Sojiro sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I mean, you’ve only got here what, few months ago? This is a new place for you, not to mention people keep looking at you like a criminal… I’m sorry to say I wasn’t treating you the best I could, either…” 

“I don’t really think you did anything wro–” Akira started, but Sojiro shook his head, asking him to be silent. 

“It’s difficult, for a kid like you, to suddenly make a whole new life for yourself, just like that. But, you did, didn’t you? You made friends, and good kids, too, not just some thugs. You got a boyfriend who cares about you. And you’ve done it all so damn fast, even I’m impressed. It’s pretty natural to be afraid all of this might get taken away from you again, kid.” 

Akira stared at Sojiro for a moment.  _ ‘Right,’  _ he thought, looking away.  _ ‘I’ve only been here for a few months. It’s not like Leblanc has been my home for a year before that, it’s not like I was friends with everyone for a long time… I really need to remember that.’ _

“Still,” The older man continued, looking at Akira with piercing eyes. He leaned back against the shelves, one hand stroking slowly over his beard. 

“Being scared of losing your friends and your place in the world isn’t any reason to hurt others. Especially if they’re only trying to help.” Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. “Seriously, kid… what are you afraid of? That Goro will take away your friends? Well, if that’s such a great concern, then go  _ be  _ with your friends. Sitting here on your ass is hardly going to get you anywhere, and neither is being snarky with them…” 

“But… they don’t need me anymore.” Akira mumbled, still staring stubbornly at the counter. Well, that was it, wasn’t it? This was the price of his second run. Yusuke had found someone else to help him with his artblock. Shiho was all the support Ann needed with Mika and her modelling career. Hifumi couldn’t teach him anymore, and was all too happy to teach Makoto instead. Even Ohya kept asking whether he couldn’t bring his detective boyfriend to talk to her again. Little by little, the bonds he had with his friends were loosening… and then, there was Futaba. His little sister in everything but blood, his  _ family _ . And Goro had… well, not taken her away from him, but…

Akira sighed and looked up. Sojiro was looking at him as if he was an idiot.

“ _ Need you _ ? What are you, a forty year old woman with an empty nest crisis? Who said anything about  _ needing _ …?”

“Well…” Akira blinked at the man in front of him. He opened his mouth, closed it again and then, he started to talk in an uncertain voice. “I mean… all of them had something they needed help with. Even just hearing them out, helping them along the way… that’s how I made friends with them. But now… with Goro, they get help from  _ him _ , and I…”

“...can’t you just invite the other kids for a movie or something?” Sojiro asked, still staring at him. “Go eat some disgusting junk food off that joint in Shibuya and play some games together? Isn’t that what you kids are doing nowadays?” 

“But–”

“But what, kid? Jeez…” The older man sighed, shaking his head. “And here I thought you were sensible. People don’t make friends because they need a saviour. You can’t get them to feel like they can really rely on you if all you do is wait around until they need your advice. What are you gonna do, spend half your life waiting for them to call on you like some kind of oracle? It doesn’t work like that.”

Akira thought of it, for a good moment. Well, no, of course; in theory, he knew friends were there to, well, have fun with. Go out together. Tell one another things. Share secrets. Support one another. In  _ theory _ . The thing was…

Well, the thing was, he  _ knew  _ how his friendships were supposed to go. They were supposed to be him helping the other Thieves out, helping them solve their own problems, helping them grow. In turn, they were supposed to help him… well. By strengthening their bond, so that the Personas he wielded in the Metaverse grew stronger and stronger. 

...now he thought of it, that didn’t sound as much as friendship as, well… a  _ deal _ . 

And, all of a sudden, he wasn’t needed as a crutch for them to support themselves. But… they still… wanted him there, didn’t they? The idea was so new and strange it was hard to fully grasp it. He needed time, he knew, to think it all through and come to terms with it, but…

Perhaps… perhaps Sojiro  _ did  _ have a point there somewhere. He never needed to  _ work  _ towards his friendships, did he? He just… showed up. A bystander watching his friends tackle their problems, offering help, support and an open ear. They messaged him and he visited them, and that was it. 

All of a sudden, he felt very, very stupid. 

“...you’re right, Boss.” He said, in a small voice. Sojiro sighed and patted his head again, and this time, Akira smiled. 

“...I never told you about Futaba’s mother, did I?” The man asked quietly, and Akira looked away, shaking his head. Sojiro sighed and started working on a coffee for him. He was gathering his words, and Akira didn’t want to disturb him.

“Wakaba, her name was. We met… well, all you need to know is, we were working in the same place back then. She was an incredible woman.” Sojiro sighed with a little, faraway smile. “The most brilliant one I ever met. Futaba’s her spitting image, did you know? How analytical she can get… she had that from Wakaba. You could hardly follow her train of thought, because it went so fast it looked as if her attention was all over the place. And she could be so passionate about things, too; she got pulled into something, and the next week you had a full dissertation on it, with pointers on how to make it better.” 

“Sounds like quite a woman.” Akira smiled as Sojiro set the cup of coffee in front of him. The older man chuckled.

“Oh, she was. That she was for sure. Completely out of my league, of course, but I didn’t let that stop me. Was too stupid to let it stop me, I guess. I went head over heels for her, but she didn’t have time for a foolish guy like me. What with Futaba there and her research… well, we still got our moments. Beautiful moments they were, some of them.” Sojiro smiled to himself. It was a soft, private smile; Akira didn’t think he’s ever seen him get lost in memories like that.

“I kept wondering, you know, if I ever told her what she meant to me; what I was prepared to do for her… Wakaba wasn’t cold, for all the analytical brains she had. Perhaps if we both tried… we could have made it work. Only, see, I never said anything. I tried to pick her up like she was just another girl… god I was a moron.” Sojiro sighed.

“Well, anyway… few months passed, and she was gone. Just like that. Car accident, they said at first… then they said it was suicide. I didn’t believe it for a moment. Wakaba wouldn’t have left Futaba alone like that. But, what could I do? I ended up running away, hiding in this little cafe where it’s safe and peaceful, like some damn hermit crab. I took Futaba in, for the memory of her mother… and, well, I loved that little troublemaker way before the damn accident anyway. Only, I screwed even that up. If you kids didn’t show up, help Futaba come out of her room and into the world…” 

He looked away, shaking his head. Akira felt his expression soften as he looked at the man before him. He knew all that, more or less, in more or less similar wording, but… this was different. In a thousand little ways, it really was. And he felt… honoured, to be given this speech, so early and so  _ naturally _ . 

“You did the best you could.” He said, in a quiet voice. “Futaba knows it, too. I’m sure she does.” 

Sojiro smiled at him and poked his forehead. 

“Now listen here, I’m not telling you all this for you to comfort an old fool like me. I’m telling you all this, because out there, there’s a boy who cares for you deeply. And you can act on your fears, kid, and be scared and jealous and stay away from him… or you can eat your breakfast and run like hell to apologize and make it better. And I can tell you one thing - think hard on what’s more important to you right now, what’s the  _ most  _ important to you, and prioritize it properly. And do it now, because one day, when you least expect it, things can go wrong… and you’ll be left regretting the things you didn’t do or say, for the rest of your life.” 

Akira looked into Sojiro’s kind, honest eyes and he felt himself nod quietly. Jealousy or not… he needed to deal with that, somehow, in his own time. He could push it away for now, think it all through and try to work on it and… maybe… just maybe… he could also ask Goro for help. But before all that, before any of these mattered… he needed to find his boyfriend, because Sojiro had no idea how right he was. All of them could get killed, at any moment, any day. By Shido, by Shadows, by thousands of little dangers each of the Phantom Thieves encountered on daily basis. And the fact Akira didn’t remember any of them dying anytime soon meant nothing, did it? Because this was a different timeline, and this was no longer going all according to plan.  

“I’ll do that, Boss.” Akira said decisively. Sojiro nodded at him.

“Good. Now eat something and get that mop of hair off my counter, alright? I need you out of here to open. And where’s the bloody cat again?” 

 

* * *

 

“Stop! Running! I’m being jostled along with this damn bag over here! Akira, come on! You need to be careful with me!” 

Morgana was making such a ruckus people were turning their heads to look at them, but Akira didn’t particularly care right now. He was running, all the way from the train station, through the busy streets of Shibuya, towards Goro’s apartment complex. Morgana was indeed being thrown about in his bag as it flapped on behind him, but Akira kept on running, and felt better than he had in  _ days _ . 

He got to Goro’s apartment completely out of breath and wheezing a bit, but that didn’t really matter, either. He was still smiling as he leaned against the wall and waited, catching his breath and waiting for Morgana to stop yelling at him for the rough treatment. Once that had been taken care of, Akira walked up the stairs, taking two at a time, and knocked on the door.

It took a while, but eventually, he heard footsteps; and then, Yusuke opened it, looking at him in surprise. Akira swallowed, wondering whether Goro had told the artist about what had happened last night, and whether he should expect another lecture. Instead, Yusuke just smiled lightly and opened the door further.

“Ah, Akira. I regret to say, Goro’s not here at the moment. He had a work emergency, from what I understand...”

“...oh.” Akira deflated somewhat and looked away dejectedly. Okay, so he felt good running. He felt good  _ doing something _ , acting, making it all better again.

And all of that, just for Goro not being here. Yusuke cleared his throat politely.

“Is there anything else, or…?”

“No, I…” Akira hesitated, and then remembered something else Sojiro had told him.  _ ‘Well, dumbass,’ _ he thought to himself.  _ ‘If you don’t want to just be Goro’s boyfriend to your friends, how about you stop acting like you are only that _ .’

“Actually, Yusuke, I was wondering… do you want to go see some movie sometime? Or an art exhibit? I think there’s a new one in Ueno, and… I’d love to hang out sometime. We haven’t had a chance to for a while, right?” 

Yusuke looked at him, somewhat startled; and then smiled.

“That would be acceptable, yes. Though perhaps after you and Goro had your date?” Akira could be overthinking this, but there was just a shade of chiding in the artist’s voice? Goro did say something about wanting to take him out lately, after all…

“Of course.” Akira grinned. Morgana stuck his head out of the bag once the door closed and they started walking down the stairs. 

“Well, that went well. And why did you have to run so fast for, huh? I’m still sore from that, you know.” 

Akira hummed, lost in thought, and reached a hand out to gently pat Morgana’s head. Yes, it went well. Just asking Yusuke to hang out, just like that, without any clear destination or goal in mind… who would have thought it was this simple? He really had been an idiot, hadn’t he. 

“Hello, hey, hey, Earth to Akira?” Morgana meowed into his ear, and the raven looked to the side and poked the cat’s nose with a little smile. 

“We should go for some sushi sometime, Morgana.” He said with. The cat meowed happily and bumped the side of his head with his cheek. 

“Now we’re talking! I want…”

“But for now…” The raven sighed and rubbed his chin. “Goro’s at work, huh? I need to pass the time somehow.”

“Didn’t we need to gather information about that thug assaulting people around Shibuya?” Morgana hummed, resting his paws on his shoulder. Akira nodded, his steps now purposefully carrying him towards the flower shop.

“You’re right. And I’m going to need some pocket money anyway.” 

 

* * *

 

It was a long shift. Akira had hoped he could have a moment to think things through as he took care of the more mundane duties at the flower shop. One never needed to think a lot while changing the water, cutting off dry leaves and picking out wilted flowers, and the repetitiveness of the action meant it felt almost like meditation. 

And yet, as luck would have it, today was some flower rush. 

They had deliveries Akira had to run around Shibuya with; they had three different requests for bouquets, and that was only the ones Hanasaki-san, the owner, let him take care of by himself. It was as if half of Shibuya suddenly decided what they really,  _ really  _ needed in their life were some more flowers.

Akira didn’t  _ really  _ begrudge it, he really didn’t, he needed the bonus such a busy shift was sure to give him; but it  _ was  _ a tad tiring. 

A bit more than a tad, in fact.  By the time he was done with the third bouquet of the day, and the client had went on their merry way after paying for it - admittedly, with a nice tip - Akira had really had enough. So then, he was wearing a very forced smile when he heard a small  _ excuse me _ and turned; only to stop dead at the sight of Goro standing there, looking at him with a faint smile. 

He looked like he’s just gotten out from work - what with the white shirt and his briefcase by his side. He was standing there, as if he has just stopped on his way after noticing him; but Akira knew better. Even  _ if  _ Goro had really just gotten out from work, there was no way his boyfriend would have just passed by. The little shop was just beside a dead end in the underground mall. Goro was looking for him, and found him here, and Akira really couldn’t stop a soft smile from spreading on his lips.

Sojiro was right, wasn’t he? In the end… there were things more and less important. And Goro was the most important to him. 

“Hello, beautiful.” He said, with a soft smile, enjoying the sudden pink tint Goro’s ears had gotten. Akira took a deep breath, gently caressing some of the flowers standing in the vase beside him. 

“I wanted to see you, but Yusuke told me you had a work emergency… Goro, I really…”

“A single red rose, please.” Goro said, interrupting him. His eyes were on the flowers now, too, and the little smile was still in place. Akira blinked up at him, and then smiled back. He reached for the flower requested, carefully picking out the most beautiful bloom. He didn’t know what to think of it all, but he still wrapped up the flower carefully and handed it to Goro, placing it gently in the brunet’s hands. 

“That’s on the house.” He said, quietly. 

“You mean that’s on your wage, Kurusu-kun.” Hanasaki-san called from behind him. He grinned, and felt as if the tension had suddenly gone. Goro laughed and shook his head, looking at him. There was softness in his eyes, softness and a question; and he knew, then and there, that Goro will at least listen to whatever he had to say. Just like he had said yesterday, he wasn’t mad. And no matter how hard it might be to explain, to truly make his boyfriend feel like it was all alright between them now, Akira was going to at least try it. 

And, hopefully, not have his mouth blocked again as he attempted to explain. 

“No, I insist. It’s for my boyfriend, you see. I’d feel bad if I didn’t buy it myself.” 

“Not sure if your boyfriend deserves such a pretty flower from such a beautiful person.” Akira said, shaking his head.

“Kurusu-kun…” Hanasaki-san called out in a wary tone. He supposed he earned it - he shouldn’t be flirting with a client, after all. Goro laughed again and raised his hand.

“It’s alright, ma’am, he’s the boyfriend in question.” He said. “And said boyfriend deserves that flower, I promise. When do you finish your shift?” 

“I…” Akira frowned, checking the time, before looking back at the owner of the shop. The woman smiled and gave him a little shrug.

“I suppose you’re free to go for today, Kurusu-kun. You’ve had a very busy shift, I don’t mind if you go a bit early.” 

“Then…” He said, throwing Goro a somewhat mischievous look. “Could I get a bouquet fee cut off of my wage, instead of the rose? I’d like to give something to my boyfriend as well, you know.” 

As Goro had grown redder and Akira’s smile widened, Hanasaki-san chuckled and gestured towards the flowers.

“Go wild.” She said with a knowing glint in her eyes. “I’ll give you a discount, just this once.” 

 

* * *

 

They needed to make a run for it - Akira was glad Morgana decided to leave them alone and so couldn’t protest to running - but, somehow, they made it just in time. The crepe shop on the Central Street had some very limited edition crepes, and Akira remembered Goro talking about wanting to get them, so it felt like a natural choice for their impromptu date. And though there was already a queue forming by the time they got there, they were still able to get a crepe each. It  _ was _ somewhat pricey, but Akira didn’t care. It was a sight, having Goro look at the crepe all sparkly-eyed, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and the fabulous treat in the other. He wasn’t expecting they’d come here and make it in time at that, and Akira was glad he could surprise his boyfriend. He felt like, after the last few days, he had some ground to make up. 

They found a quiet enough corner in the familiar, little park just outside Goro’s apartment complex and sat down on the bench, finishing their crepes. For the most part, they were quiet up until now; and Akira knew that, sooner or later, they’d have to talk about things. 

Goro laughed, and Akira looked at him in confusion, tilting his head. The brunet was looking down at the last few bites of his crepe, and at the flowers he was still holding in his hands. 

“What’s funny?” Akira asked, nudging his boyfriend’s side. Goro shook his head. 

“I’ve been trying to take you out on a date for  _ days _ , and it was so easy in the end. I just had to turn up at your place of work.” He smiled up at him. Akira sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“ _ And  _ call me out for being an ass.” He mumbled. Goro looked down; his hair fell like a curtain, shielding his expression from view. He shook his head lightly. 

“...I need to apologize to you for that, Akira.” He said quietly, and Akira stared. “I’m acting… I shouldn’t…” He sighed and reached out his hand, taking Akira’s own. 

“Just after we started dating… and even before that, you have never once pressured me into telling you anything. You knew I kept secrets and you knew I lied, and you… trusted me anyway. You trusted me that I had a good reason for all of it. And look at me now, trying to help, only to get angry at you for… what? For not wanting to share what your nightmare was about? For snapping at me, when we’re all stressed and on edge? I’m… a lousy boyfriend, am I not?” Goro sighed, and then brought Akira’s hand up, pressing a kiss to it. 

Gods… Akira never felt more wretched. Never in his life. 

“Goro…” He said, in a weak voice. “It’s  _ different.  _ You really… you don’t need to apologize. You were right, every word you said was the truth. I shouldn’t just… keep what’s bothering me away from you. I should trust you more. That’s what boyfriends are all about, isn’t it?” 

“It’s not what  _ you  _ are all about.” Goro shook his head stubbornly. “You never got angry at me for taking my time. Or for not letting you know about everything. I feel  _ stupid _ . And I really am sorry… I just… it’s frustrating, you know? Not knowing what’s going on in your head, watching things hurt you… watching you grow distant and not knowing what’s happening. I have no idea how you could cope with it…”

_ ‘I didn’t _ ,’ Akira thought.  _ ‘I knew exactly what you were keeping from me. Oh god, Goro…’ _

“....the thing that bothered me…” Akira said quietly, squeezing Goro’s hand in his own. “It started with the dream, just like you suspected it had. That nightmare, it… It started with me watching you, all of you, walk away from me. You didn’t miss me; you didn’t even see me. I was no one, but the invisible transfer student again. And I started to worry that… that something like that might happen in real life, too.” Akira sighed, shaking his head. 

“I know it’s stupid, believe me.” He mumbled. “But… everything… it’s just not going the way I thought it would, you know? It’s like with Yusuke… I was supposed to help him with the artblock, and it just… slipped past me. Everything’s different now, and I… felt lost in it. But I think I can figure it out now. I’m sure I can. Just because it’s different from what I–” Akira’s throat clenched as he tried to say  _ remember _ , and he took a deep breath and continued, determined to speak his mind. “– _ expected _ , it doesn’t mean that it’s worse for it. And I can still be friends with Yusuke, and Futaba, and everyone else. I just need to make some effort.” He smiled, and gently pulled his hand out of Goro’s hold, brushing his hair behind his ear. Goro looked over at him, though there was a little frown that marred the smile he tried to show him.

“...I don’t understand, though.” He said, after a moment’s pause. “If that was your nightmare, and that was what all the fuss was about… why did you push me away?” 

_ ‘...ah _ .’ Akira thought.  _ ‘Well, I know it’ll sound crazy, but I’m actually reliving a year of my life for the second time and was from the start manipulating you in order for you not to try to kill me, and then die when your cognitive self shot you in front of my eyes. I dreamt that I did just that, by pulling you away from there, and switching places with you, so that it was me who got killed. By someone with your face.’ _

Yeah, right. As if he could just say that.

“That… that nightmare had another part.” He said instead, looking away and letting his hand drop. Goro took it again and held it in a soft, sweet show of support. Akira couldn’t help but smile, though he shuddered just remembering the cognition’s dead eyes. “We were in the Metaverse… And you were in danger, so I pulled you away. Only… it got  _ me  _ shot.”

“But that doesn’t–”

“By a Shadow that looked just like you.” 

For a long moment, there was silence; and then, Akira felt arms, gentle, warm arms wrapping around him. He closed his eyes, leaning into the hug.

“You thought it was still that dream.” Goro said quietly. Akira nodded. “You know I would never hurt you.” 

“I know.” Akira whispered. “I knew it wasn’t you.  _ He  _ wasn’t you. The eyes were different.”

“...what?” Goro let out a soft, almost hysterical laughter as he squeezed Akira tighter in his arms. The raven bit his lip, and then spoke.

“That… that thing had eyes that were dead. There was no glimmer in them, no emotion. Just two pits. It looked nothing like you, Goro. But… I was confused when I woke up. I thought… I don’t know. It was such a bad nightmare, even though it maybe doesn’t sound so bad when I talk about it now. I hated it, that’s for sure.” He sighed softly. Goro kissed the top of his head. 

“It was just a nightmare.” The brunet said decisively. “No one’s forgetting you, no one’s leaving you behind, and I’ll personally make sure no one tries to kill you.  _ Especially  _ not my lookalike.” 

Akira smiled to himself bitterly. One could say they had the very same goal, then; just with the target reverted. But, for now, Akira wouldn’t think of it. He didn’t want to. Not right now; not when he had his boyfriend there, wrapping him in his arms, making him feel so safe. 

“Okay.” He murmured, melting in the warm embrace. “Thank you. And… Goro, I’m really sorry. For keeping stuff away from you… for everything.”

“It’s okay.” Goro whispered back, and Akira could hear a smile in his voice, and another kiss being pressed to the top of his head. “You’re here now, and you’re letting me help. That’s all that matters.” 

 

* * *

 

They ended up spending the rest of the day together, walking around Inokashira park and putting up a blanket in the private little spot they celebrated Goro’s birthday in all this time ago. It was away from the main path, and it was just as well, because Akira didn’t want to stop himself from kissing his beautiful boyfriend every once in a while. They laid there together, on a patch of warm grass, reading books and holding hands and feeding one another little cream puffs they got at the station. It wasn’t some fancy date they planned for, or even them hanging out in the normal sense of the word. Instead, it was sweet, happy and intimate; and Akira never felt more in love.

The next day, Akira spent with Ann and Shiho, since Yusuke was still busy. The girls were discussing their getaway to the onsen. Akira already warned them he and Goro won’t join - their trip was being planned for the weekend of Akira’s birthday - but he was more than happy to talk with them about it and help them plan out their trip. There was some hiking trail over the mountains around the onsen place; maybe Goro would like to go hiking? Akira made a mental note to ask him about it later, just as he made literal notes while he and the girls went over their plans one more time.

The day of the cleanse came next, with Akira walking sleepily down the stairs, only to blink as he saw Sojiro already in Leblanc, setting out a cup of coffee on the counter with a somber expression. He nodded softly at the raven and moved over to prepare another cup. 

“I do that every year.” The older man said quietly. “For Wakaba. It’s the anniversary today… I was thinking, kid. Would you like to… come with us? We’re going to visit the grave with Futaba, and… well. I want you to come along.” 

“Yeah!” Came the voice from the door, and Akira grinned, seeing Futaba there, grinning back uncertainly. She shuffled close and slipped onto the seat next to him, nudging him on the side. 

“I’d feel more comfortable with you there, too.” She mumbled, kicking her legs in the air. “I’d invite Goro as well, just… it’d be weird. I don’t think he’d like that, either. Oh, well. And, right, Medjed! So, they didn’t attack us back for now. There’s something cooking though. I’m gonna say, they’re gonna do something tonight.” 

“Well… let’s just hope it’ll all end well, then.” Akira sighed softly. Futaba nodded, resting her chin on her folded arms. 

“Yep. It ain’t like we can do anything much now, anyway.” She sighed.

 

* * *

 

_ To the people of the world. _

_ We are Medjed. _

_ Over the last months, we have corrupted these words, so as they became meaningless. _

_ We used to be Hackers of Justice. _

_ We used to be heroes. _

_ The Phantom Thieves of Hearts have made us see how low we have fallen, to let a foreign entity take advantage of our name. Without consequence; without justice. _

_ We have looked back at what we used to be, and what we are now. We have let down the people who seeked our help; those who believed in us. We have become corrupted, just like the evil corporations and politicians we vowed to destroy in the name of justice. _

_ That is unforgivable. _

_ However, now we have seen an error in our ways, perhaps it is not too late to amend it. The Phantom Thieves have shown us what the true justice is; and we shall embrace it. _

_ We will, once again, become Hackers of Justice. We will, once again, become proud to say: _

_ We are Medjed. _

_ To the man who flaunted our name for his own gain: we are grateful. Because of your despicable deed, our hearts have underwent a change. Know, however, that we do not forgive so easily. _

_ Your name and all the data we had gathered on you have been, as of now, handed to the police of Japan. Should no action against you be taken, we will take it in our own hands. _

_ To The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and all those who oppose them: _

_ know that as of now, The Phantom Thieves have a loyal ally in Medjed. _

_ You have changed our hearts, and shown us the way to once again be proud of what we do. _

_ Should you ever need help; should you ever need the might of Medjed to support you, we will be there, waiting to repay this great debt.  _

_ Let us reform the world together; and let those who aim to control us, to subdue us, to silence us; let them burn in the fire of our rebellion. _

 

* * *

 

**Skull:** have you guys SEEN?

**Panther:** how are YOU the first one yelling

**Skull:** dude i’m like always on my phone

**Panther:** no I meant it’s in English

**Skull:** shut up, m’kay? 

**Crow:** moving away from Skull’s language abilities for now

**Crow:** I had not been expecting something quite like this

**Queen:** I know what you mean

**Queen:** could they really find out that man’s identity?

**Crow:** i suppose it wouldn’t be impossible

**Queen:** I’ll try to find out once Sis comes home, she’s still out

**Skull:** yo but are they for real?

**Skull:** with the ally talk and all?

**Fox:** I suppose we should determine whether it is an organization we should trust

**Panther:** yeah… but still

**Panther:** isn’t it… kind of amazing? 

**Panther:** where’s Joker and Alibaba btw

**Crow:** out, from what I understand

**Queen:** I wish Alibaba could give us her opinion on the matter

**Alibaba:** yo we’re here!

**Joker:** I missed Skull being teased （Ω Д Ω）

**Skull:** HEY

**Joker:** I only tease cause I love, bro

**Skull:** bro

**Alibaba:** gross

**Fox:** Alibaba is such an articulate addition to our group

**Alibaba:** shut it Inari

**Panther:** dont you guys think we should pick her another codename?

**Alibaba:** ya you can think of smth, this is my hacker name 

**Joker:** we’ll decide on something later on, then （*＾＾*)

**Alibaba:** right, back to the Medjed message, though

**Joker:** RIGHT

**Panther:** It’s almost surreal how well it went, isn’t it?

**Skull:** ok so again, just so we’re clear, we basically have the scary hacker organization at our service now, right? I mean holy hell?

**Alibaba:** hehe… told you my hacking skills are amazing

**Fox:** it is good to have a backup support in case they failed us, yes

**Alibaba:** HEY

**Queen:** how is it on your end, Crow? Won’t there be trouble?

**Crow:** I’m being called in as we speak 

**Crow:** I’ll let you guys know how it came through the moment I’m out from there

**Joker:** ugh

**Joker:** wait why are you being called all of a sudden i thought they knew this was gonna happen?

**Fox:** please be careful, Crow

**Alibaba:** yeah…

**Panther:** take care Crow, we’ll be waiting okay?

**Skull:** Fox you make sure he’s okay

**Queen:** please don’t put yourself in danger for our sake

**Crow:** thank you, everyone. I assure you, it will be alright. and, I’m not sure myself why am I being called in

**Crow:** we shall see

**Crow:** still. I’ll keep you updated

**Joker:** want me to come over? ;;

**Crow:** you know I won’t say no :) 

**Joker:** (✿ ♥‿♥)

**Joker:** I’m packing my bag right now honey

**Joker:** can I bring Morgana over?

**Crow:** sure ♥

**Alibaba:** HE SENT A HEART I AM DECEASED

**Queen:** oh dear

**Panther:** uh okay moving on

**Panther:** now we’re in the clear 

**Panther:** we’ll need to meet up to discuss what we’re doing from now on anyway so

**Panther:** beach? anyone? 

**Skull:** HELL YEAH

**Alibaba:** UGH

**Queen:** I should be free until the end of the holidays, I think

**Fox:** I still have some work to do because of an upcoming exhibit, so I would be obliged if we could go in a week or so. That should give me enough time to finish my current piece.

**Panther:** 28th then? 

**Queen:** that sounds perfect for me 

**Fox:** marvelous

**Skull:** yeah I’m good then

**Crow:** I don’t have work on that day, either ^^

**Joker:** and me and Morgana are good too!

**Alibaba:** UGHHHHHHHH

**Panther:** that’s decided then! Oh, can I bring Shiho with me?

**Joker:** sure? I have nothing against 

**Alibaba:** more people… great…

**Crow:** now, you’ll be okay, Alibaba. We’ll all be there for you, so there’s no need to worry

**Alibaba:** yeah....

**Queen:** perhaps I could invite Hifumi as well… she did tell me last time we spoke she’d love to go but she didn’t have anyone to go with…

**Crow:** oh dear

**Panther:** ...Queen

**Joker:** shhhh don’t tell her

**Queen:** ...what is it?

**Alibaba:** how are all of you guys not in some romcom already

**Queen:** I don’t understand?

**Crow:** Queen, I’m quite sure when a person says something like that they mean for you to ask them out to the place they “don’t have anyone to go with” to

**Joker:** And there he goes ruining the fun

**Crow:** shush you

**Panther:** you should definitely ask her, Queen ♥

**Alibaba:** I AM DYING OVER HERE

**Joker:** I love you guys


	42. Beneath the Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves take the long-awaited trip to the beach.

It was a quiet week.

Akira remembered, from the first time he had gone through all of these events, the lull that came after taking care of Medjed. They were getting more popular by the day, that was the same - if not more pronounced, in fact - but the popularity didn’t get to their heads this time. Even Ryuuji seemed to be taking it all with a grain of salt, now they all knew - thanks to Goro - that at least some of it was staged.

They were free now. The poll on the Phantom Thieves page was not up yet, so there were no immediate new targets they needed to discuss. Anyway, with Shido’s IT guy being investigated by the police now, Akira didn’t think they had to worry too much about the rigged vote that pressured them into taking care of Okumura’s case. For now, they could enjoy the much-needed time off, and it was good to rest and focus on each other.

The jealousy was still there, whenever he and Goro met with the others, or whenever Goro had told him he was hanging out with one of their friends without him there. Akira suspected it will never completely go away, but at least he tried to work on it now, instead of sulking and taking it out on others. Besides, ever since their impromptu date, he felt he could talk to Goro about it, even if that still was a struggle, and… well…

There was also the case of Goro not being quite himself throughout this week, too.

It started innocently enough. The day the Medjed message was posted, Goro went to report to Shido on sudden summons, and he came back… different. The man didn’t do anything to him, Akira made absolutely sure of that, but all the same…

He wouldn’t tell them what the talk was about, that was the first concern. Shido had only wanted to confirm something, Goro had said, and brushed all the questions after that off with generalities. Akira didn’t want to prod back then - he could see how exhausted and in need of comfort his boyfriend was, and so he didn’t. But the thought that there were, once again, secrets between them gnawed on the raven’s mind.

It made Goro act strange, too. He has been on his phone a lot more, even when they were hanging out with others; he seemed uneasy and the plastic edges in his smiles returned. And, when a few days later Akira had finally asked him to be honest with him, he seemed hurt by the idea his boyfriend thought he was hiding something. Akira didn’t know what to chalk it up to.

Otherwise, it would have been such a wonderful week. With no responsibilities, no plans, day after day spent hanging out and chatting about everything and nothing with his friends. Ann and Shiho went for their little getaway over the weekend, and all of the Phantom Thieves talked about nothing else but the beautiful pictures they sent them. Akira took Morgana and Ryuuji out for yakiniku, and they ended up having a small sleepover, playing games almost the whole night after Morgana fell into a blissful sleep from eating too much. The next day, Makoto had pulled Akira and Goro along for an unofficial double date in Jinbocho. They found a small cafe there, among all the bookstores, and Hifumi and Akira had a shogi match, with Goro and Makoto cheering for them from the sides. Akira knew he’d lose, was prepared for that; still he had thought the loss wouldn’t have been as bad if Goro wasn’t trying so hard to help him, more often than not forgetting this was shogi and not chess, and the rules were different. And, once Shiho and Ann came back from their trip, glowing with happiness, the two of them, Akira, Goro and Ryuuji went out to shop for swimming suits for the boys. Ann made all three of them act as if they were on a catwalk, and they were almost thrown out of the shop for laughing so hard - though somehow, Akira was never out watching when Goro was showing off a new swimsuit, and vice versa. He was _sure_ Ann was doing this on purpose.

The day of their trip to the beach was hot, bright and sunny. Even Futaba looked happy and excited as they left Leblanc, waved off by Sojiro, and took a train to the beach. Akira smiled, looking out of the train windows as they sped past the bustling city.

“Ugh… I still don’t know what the big deal about the beach is…” Morgana meowed from his bag - though he tried his best to do that quietly. Akira was saving on pet fare, and Morgana obviously didn’t want to be button-smashed again.

“At least you don’t mind all the people.” Futaba grumbled, though she smiled faintly when Akira looked over at her. “It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll be good. Shock therapy, yeah? I can do this.” She nodded, making the raven grin. Morgana sighed forlornly.

“Yeah, but what do _I_ do at the beach? I’m not swimming, can’t tan, and I can already tell it’s going to be hot and the sand is going to get in my fur, and…”

“Weren’t you the one who kept talking about all the girls in swimsuits that are gonna be there?” Akira raised his eyebrow, and Morgana meowed in protest.

“I would never–”

“Heh, I wonder what’d everyone say if we recorded him when he’s in the dreamy mood, Akira.” Futaba grinned from over his shoulder, and Morgana meowed in alarm. The two of them laughed, though trying their best to keep it down. They were already getting suspicious looks from the other passengers.

“Well, at least I’m trying to think of other ways to enjoy the beach!” Morgana meowed in annoyance once the two of them calmed down. “This guy is only excited about us going so that he can oogle Goro in a swimsuit all day.”

“You bet I am.” Akira grinned unapologetically. “I have a hot boyfriend and he’s going to be hanging out with me shirtless the whole day. Am I supposed to be sad about that?”

Morgana groaned and hid in Akira’s bag while he laughed, Futaba rolling her eyes at the two of them from the side.

“Not gonna lie, it’ll be good to just go relax somewhere with everyone.” Futaba said after a moment, smiling to herself. “Goro’s been so stressed out lately, did you notice?”

“He spends more time on his phone than _you_ Futaba, and that’s saying something.” Came a grumble from the bag, where Morgana still hid. Akira sighed, leaning back in his seat.

“He worries too much. About everything.” He said. The raven smiled to himself after a while and took out his phone, scrolling through his recent messages with Goro.

There were still plans to make, dangers to overcome; there was still a lot for them, and him in particular, to worry about. But today, just for one day, he felt like he didn’t need to bother about that. Today was going to be a good day, he just knew it.

 

 **Akira:** can’t wait to meet you on the beach ❤

 **Goro:** see you there ❤

 

* * *

 

They arrived at the beach with still some time to spare. Ryuuji and Yusuke were already there - and Goro, too, judging from his stuff set by the other boys to look after. Akira waved hello at them and disappeared in the changing rooms. He smiled as he undressed and pulled on his swimming trunks, his necklace clearly visible now he had no shirt to hide it under. He didn’t mind it; on a sunny day like this, he wanted everyone to know he and Goro were boyfriends.

The beach wasn’t as crowded as it was back then, in the previous timeline. It stood to reason, Akira thought. He still had no idea why  they decided to go to the beach on a Saturday back then, even though all of them had holidays anyway. Now, during the week, there was still a crowd, but they could at least see through the people. Akira smiled, feeling happiness fill him like golden light and sat down next to Yusuke and Ryuuji, waiting for the rest of their group to arrive and change.

Ann and Shiho were next, and Akira had to admit he never stopped and really noticed the difference between the Ann from his first timeline and the one from here and now. She stood different, looked different; and she looked so _happy_ , holding Shiho’s hand and laughing with her before walking towards them and waving hello. Akira had never realized how much Shiho’s attempted suicide and her leaving for another city had affected the girl. Now, he couldn’t help but think that whatever else changed in this timeline, just by saving Shiho from Kamoshida, he had succeeded.

Hifumi and Makoto came out next, and though the girls were not holding hands - _yet_ , Akira’s mind supplied - he was amused to see Makoto had gotten a new swimsuit, just to look a bit prettier. No one else would have noticed that, he knew; but he remembered the fairly generic white one she wore in the first timeline, and therefore noticed the effort this time. Hifumi looked beautiful herself; Akira had never seen her in a ponytail before, but she wore one now. Judging from the look Makoto was giving her, she liked it on her even more than Akira did.

And then there was Futaba, with the towel on her head, just like he remembered it; having to be convinced to show them her face, but grinning with uncertainty once she took it off. Akira felt his expression soften. No matter the timeline, no matter how much he was needed to help the girl now… she will always be a little sister to him, in some way. Akira smiled to himself brightly, looked up, and froze on the spot.

Goro was the last to come out of the changing rooms, and that was more or less what Akira was expecting, with how image-conscious his boyfriend always was. What he did not expect was to be hit by the beauty Goro was quite so hard the moment the brunet did appear in front of them.

He had his hair in braids again, ending in a little ponytail. He had sunglasses propped up on his head, absolutely no makeup on - each and every freckle visible and beautiful and begging to be kissed. He wore a thin, dark-blue shirt, open to show off his chest and the necklace there… and he was grinning, looking right at Akira, as if he knew perfectly well how much his boyfriend liked what he saw.

“Okay, that’s all of us.” Ann laughed, waving her hand in front of Akira’s eyes and picking up some of the things they brought with them. “Someone gather Joker’s jaw from the floor and we can go find a spot to camp out.”

The whole group laughed, and Akira blushed crimson; though at the moment, he didn’t care much. Goro walked close to him and hooked their little fingers together, smiling the sweetest smile at him.

“You look beautiful, too.” The brunet murmured, and Akira felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

 

* * *

 

They found a nice spot, close to the ocean, among the crowd of people. Akira busied himself helping to set up their little camp, only half-listening to the chatter and mostly talking to Morgana whenever Hifumi and Shiho weren’t within the earshot. He didn’t want his friend to feel left out, and besides, he needed time to gush in peace about how handsome his boyfriend was. Admittedly, he wasn’t sure Morgana wouldn’t have preferred him to shut up.

“Oh my _god_ , are you going to talk about nothing else but his freckles now?” The cat meowed indignantly, as if on cue; and Akira couldn’t help but laugh.

“As opposed to you not being able to shut up about how Ann looks in a swimsuit?” He bit back, fighting with their beach umbrella that seemed to be stuck on something. It came open all of a sudden, and Akira yelped, taking a few steps back before being steadied by a pair of strong arms.

“Careful now.” Goro laughed from behind him, and Akira was sure he felt a kiss against his nape before he turned around and beamed at his boyfriend.

“Sorry, was distracted by one beautiful guy, it’s hard to pay attention.” Akira hummed, laughing as Goro rolled his eyes at him. Morgana groaned from behind them.

“That’s it, I’m going to sit over there with Ryuuji, at least there I’m not going to be subjected to you two idiots being all lovey dovey.”

“You think you can escape from us, that’s adorable.” Akira grinned, and Goro shook his head at him, throwing him a bottle of sunscreen and sitting down, taking off his shirt.

“You shut up and help me with my back.” The brunet said. Akira smiled, kneeling behind him, and then giggled when Goro pulled out his phone and leaned back, posing for a selfie with him.

“Selfie without makeup?” Akira whispered into his ear, just as the camera snapped; and was happy to feel a little shudder run down his boyfriend’s spine.

“Just this once. And just because of how hard it is to get you to shut up about my freckles.” Goro retorted, blushing. Akira really, really wanted to kiss him right then.  

“Okay guys, we’re off!” Ann said, straightening up from her own task of rubbing sunscreen on Shiho’s back. “We promised Futaba we’ll take her out on the banana thing, so look after our stuff, okay?”

“What?” Ryuuji yelped, jumping up. “Why are we on guard duty?”

“Because it’s an all-girls adventure.” Makoto raised her eyebrow at him, and Ryuuji groaned and sat back down. Yusuke chuckled from his spot in the shade, and even Goro’s shoulders trembled from hidden laughter as he sat there, with his back to Akira. The raven knew he was supposed to be doing a job here, but he couldn’t help himself. He was distracted with how many freckles Goro had on his shoulders.

“...Akira?”

“...I thought today was going to be fun.” The raven groaned. “Now it’s going to be torture. How am I supposed to look at these the whole day and stop myself from kissing them?”

Goro laughed and shoved lightly back against him, and Akira grinned, picking up the bottle.

“Oh, can you take the necklace off? It’ll get all greasy if I put the sunscreen on with it there.” Akira hummed, uncapping the bottle. Goro’s hands came up, unclasping the silver chain; Akira saw, as if in slow motion, the clasp slither out from between his boyfriend’s fingers, falling down…

His hand shot out, catching the necklace before it fell into the sand. That’s what two timelines worth of proficiency training did to you.

“Careful now.” He purred, handing the necklace to Goro with a smile. “I’d be mad if you lost it.”

“Oh? Would you break up with me?” His boyfriend purred teasingly, glancing back at him.

“Of course. Some sins are not to be forgiven.” Akira gasped dramatically, only to laugh again as he finally got to work, rubbing the sunscreen on his boyfriend’s back, feeling him relax under his careful fingertips. He smiled, drawing a few lines over Goro’s back with his finger…

“...did you just write _Goro + Akira_ all over my back?” Came a bemused murmur from Goro. Akira grinned, leaned in and kissed his nape in reply. Goro laughed as the raven wiped the letters off, fingers now straying to his sides, threatening to tickle him. Beside them, Ryuuji, Yusuke and Morgana were debating on what to do next; Akira was happy to hear that at least Ryuuji didn’t seem as obsessed with finding some ‘babes’ on the beach as he was before.

“Ugh, look at the five of us.” The blond sighed forlornly as Goro and Akira switched places, with Goro trying not to giggle as he smeared sunscreen over Akira’s face, the raven wrinkling his nose and screwing his eyes shut. “These two have no clue what’s happening around them, we have a cat, a weirdo…”

“And a thug.” Morgana meowed, before remembering himself and yelling. “I’m not a cat!”

“Yeah, it’s like some damn losers club. Or a virgins club.” Ryuuji rolled his eyes. Yusuke tilted his head to the side.

“I don’t see a reason to be embarrassed about our lack of–”

“Yeah okay, no, bad wording, bad wording…” Ryuuji waved his hands in the air, suddenly looking panicked. Akira grinned at him; Goro has finished with him, and was now reaching for a bottle of water, looking at the group in amusement.

“Bold of you to assume me and Goro are virgins, Ryuuji.” The raven purred, to Ryuuji’s and Morgana’s groans. He laughed and patted Goro on the back, to help stop him choking on his water. Yusuke nodded sagely, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Incidentally; I have been working on the theme of love recently, Akira. Do you perhaps think you and Goro could lend me a few hours of your time..? I could use two models who wouldn’t be shy to–”

“Absolutely _not_ , Yusuke.” Goro said, his ears growing red. Ryuuji shook his head and stood up, grabbing Morgana with him.

“Come on, we’re getting outta here.”

 

* * *

 

Ryuuji and Morgana came back after a while, the blond carrying two trays of takoyaki they shared among themselves. Akira, Goro and Yusuke stayed by their things, dutifully watching them, though mostly just relaxing. All three of them laid out on one blanket, leaning against one another. Yusuke was sketching something; Goro, who had his head leaning against the artist’s back, was reading a crime novel he put in the book cover Akira and Morgana had given him for his birthday. Akira was dozing off under his own book; he had started to read, but the combination of laying in the pleasant shade, with his head on his boyfriend’s stomach and having his hair played with made him sleepy. He only cracked his eye open occasionally, when he felt Goro looking at him, and once or twice caught him trying to take a picture of all three of them without changing his position.

They ate, and then the girls returned, splashing cold water over them and laughing and talking animatedly about the fun they had. Ryuuji had pulled Goro, Akira and Yusuke to have a ride, too, though the detective was protesting quite vehemently, and only agreed when Ryuuji asked him if he was going to chicken out of this. It _was_ fun, Akira thought, especially the part where Goro clung to him throughout the whole ride, afraid of falling off.

They had a volleyball match afterwards, girls versus boys. Futaba volunteered to referee - though that mostly consisted of her taking pictures of them playing. Akira never had this much fun playing volleyball, especially with how passionate Goro had gotten. They lost, of course - with Shiho on the girls’ team, it was hardly any wonder - but it was a lot of fun, even if they needed to go and buy food for everyone as the losing team.

They ate all together, chatting and laughing with one another. Hifumi took to Morgana; even if she couldn’t understand him, she seemed convinced he could understand _her,_  and was talking to him seriously while giving him all the pets he could ever want. Makoto was sitting next to her, a little flushed and smiling a bit all the time, joining in the pets every once in a while. Ann and Shiho sat together, chatting animatedly and teasing Ryuuji in turns, and Yusuke and Futaba argued about lobsters on the side.

Akira leaned against Goro, smiling when he felt the detective’s lips press gently against the side of his head.

“What is it?” Goro murmured, in between the bites of his sandwich. Akira shrugged, finding his hand, their fingers intertwining.

“Nothing,” He said. “I’m just happy.”

They ate in comfortable silence for a while longer; and then, Akira crumbled the wrapper of his sandwich and put it in their trash bag, before looking back at Goro.

“Say…” He murmured, closing his eyes as he leaned his head on Goro’s shoulder. “Do you ever think of how much has changed? Over these past few months?”

Akira could feel Goro hesitate; his body stiffened just a little bit. He blinked his eyes open in surprise. It was an innocent question on his part - he was just thinking how much this timeline had changed for them, for all of them, for the better. How much _love_ they all had found. Akira straightened up, looking at Goro, who was frowning at him.

“How do you mean?”

“Well…” Akira said, in slight confusion. “Just in April, I’d never have imagined I’d be getting a boyfriend, for starters. That’s all I meant…”

“Oh…” Goro blinked and then looked away, seemingly embarrassed. Akira leaned in, trying to catch his eye.

“Goro…? Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m fine…” The brunet cleared his throat and then smiled back at him. “What do you want to do now?”

“Um…” Akira frowned, and opened his mouth to argue; but then thought better of it. They were supposed to be relaxing today; and anyway, this was no place to be pulling the truth out of Goro. Not in front of their whole group, including two non-Thieves in it.

“I’m going to have a swim.” He said, instead. “Wanna come with?”

“Ah… um… I don’t think I’ll… I think I’ll pass.” Goro coughed, and Akira was surprised to see color rising in his ears. He narrowed his eyes at him and grinned as the realization dawned.

“...you don’t know how to swim?”

“N-no, I do! I do I just… anyway, aren’t you supposed to wait after eating? I thought–”

“You can’t swim, can you.” Akira grinned only broader and pecked his boyfriend’s lips before standing up and reaching his hand out to him. “Come on. I’ll teach you. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Goro protested - and would probably manage to wiggle out of Akira’s proposal of a swimming lesson, if not for Futaba, who snuck behind him and started to tickle him. That resulted in Goro springing out into the air as if he bounced off a trampoline, to everyone’s laughter.

Most of the Thieves - plus their dates - came with them, ready to have fun in the water now, too. Shiho and Ann helped out Futaba, who shared Goro’s aversion to swimming. Akira took care of Goro; coaxing him to lay on the water, supporting him there, teaching him patiently how to keep himself on the surface. Ryuuji was helping him, though he seemed to wander about the two swimming stations, one time returning with Futaba clinging to his back, yelling happily and splashing her feet in the water.

Hifumi, Makoto, Yusuke and Morgana were looking after their things, though Akira did hear their cheers, especially when he convinced Goro to get onto _his_ back, and they had a chicken fight with Ryuuji and Futaba, Ann and Shiho laughing so hard at them they ended up inhaling some of the water by accident.

It was sunset by the time they finally got out of the water, got dry and sat down on the quickly emptying beach once more. Goro was still flushed from laughter, holding Akira’s hand and leaning his head on his shoulder as they watched the sunset, the Phantom Thieves - plus two - seated all around them.

“...I should be going soon.” Hifumi said quietly, and Makoto smiled shyly at her.

“Can I walk you home?”

“I’d love that.” The girl smiled back, and the rest of their group exchanged little grins.

“We’ll be going back as well.” Ann said, as she and Shiho stood up.

“...don’t you want to go back to Leblanc for the evening?” Futaba mumbled from her spot, curled up under a towel.

“I’m sorry, Futaba-chan, I need to be home before dark.” Shiho said with an apologetic smile. Ann and Makoto looked at one another.

“I don’t need to, though.” Ann said with a smile. “I’ll walk Shiho home and we’ll meet at Leblanc, okay?”

“I’ll come back as well, then.” Makoto nodded. Futaba shook her head, one finger raised up.

“No… I’d feel bad for forcing you to come. Still, let’s meet up tomorrow, a-okay? We have stuff to talk over.”

“A breakfast together, then.” Akira smiled, not moving from his position. Goro was silent beside him; if he didn’t know better, he’d think his boyfriend had fallen asleep. Around them, the Phantom Thieves gathered their things and said their goodbyes, going home one by one. Futaba, Morgana and Yusuke lingered behind, waiting for Goro and Akira to join them. The raven moved gently, and felt Goro move away from him, face still turned towards the distant horizon and the quickly-darkening sky.

“Just give us a minute more.” Akira murmured to Futaba, but Goro shook his head and looked at him with a faraway smile on his face.

“No, it’s alright. It’s just so peaceful here, now there aren’t as many people. I’ll stay a little bit longer, but you can go on ahead.”

Akira hesitated, and so did Yusuke. They exchanged looks.

“Are you sure?” Yusuke asked in a gentle voice. Goro nodded with a little laugh.

“Yes, seriously, don’t mind me. I’ll be alright on my own, as surprising as it may seem.”

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t the best-slept night in Akira’s life, that was for sure. He was half-convinced he got a mild sunstroke, with how hot and uncomfortable he felt, and how his head throbbed. Morgana seemed to be having a bad night, too; though this Akira knew the cause of and was sure to comfort his friend after he woke up from the nightmare.

The thing was… the thing was, Akira realized, he wasn’t quite sure why he felt so uneasy. It was true that Goro was acting just slightly out of the ordinary these last few days, but Akira felt as if he was nitpicking by even thinking that. It wasn’t like his boyfriend neglected him or even seemed perpetually in bad mood. There were simply moments; moments of uneasiness that seemed to pool together and swirl and fester in Akira’s heart.

It was all going to get better the next day, Akira told himself as he twisted and turned on his bed. Goro was going to come to Leblanc together with the rest of them. He had the day free, and the weekend after that - perhaps they could spend it together? And they would have time and privacy to talk, and Akira would tell him he was feeling uneasy and anxious, and Goro was going to reassure him.

With a little sigh, Akira pulled out his phone and scrolled through their messages one last time, looking at Goro’s slightly late _goodnight_. He smiled to himself and hugged the phone to his chest. Goro never failed to send him a goodnight message; and no matter how many times he had received them, they always made him so happy.

Akira had to fall asleep sometime during this night, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up, his phone buzzing in his hand. It was Yusuke, asking him whether Goro was already at Leblanc, since he wasn’t in the house. Akira rolled his eyes slightly at the artist fretting and rolled out of the bed, landing on the floor with a little thump.

It was sunny outside, though with stuffiness to the air and low, thick clouds floating over the sky that hinted on a possible storm incoming. Still, Akira took the sun pouring in through the windows for a good sign; he dressed up, washed his face, combed his hair and skipped downstairs, Morgana hot on his heels.

Futaba was already there, as was Sojiro; the girl yawning hugely and demanding coffee and food. Akira grinned and ruffled her hair, earning a smack on his arm when he sat down next to her. Here, too, he felt calmer still. Futaba and Sojiro were bickering good-naturedly; the coffee and curry were delicious, as always. They were almost finished by the time Ryuuji walked in, yawning and stretching, followed by Ann who skipped to Akira and started to whisper in his ear about Makoto. Akira grinned, listening to the whispered summary of what might or might not have happened last night; Ann was positive there was some hand-holding on the train on their way to Shibuya and was already asking Akira to accompany her on some gentle prodding and coaxing the information out of their strategist.

A mission which, apparently, was not needed, because Makoto came into Leblanc together with Yusuke at the very next moment, flushing under their collective gazes. For a second, there was silence; and then, she grinned and looked away, tapping her lips lightly with her fingers, to their joined cheers and whoops.

Akira looked around fondly at their whole group. Sojiro left them be, busying himself with his curry. The TV played in the background, making up for the familiar ambient noise of Leblanc. Ann had pulled Makoto to the side, with curious Morgana hanging over her shoulder. Makoto was blushing red, but looking very pleased with herself. Ryuuji and Futaba were talking about some new game coming out, and Yusuke leaned beside him with a little smile, a cup of coffee in his hands.

“Have you heard from Goro? He didn’t text me back yet…” Akira hummed, looking to the side at the artist. Yusuke shook his head with a little frown.

“No… he did tell me he was going out, but it was very early, and I was still half-asleep. I was certain he went to Leblanc ahead of time… perhaps it was yet another work emergency.” Yusuke rubbed his chin; and then smiled lightly as he looked back at Akira.

“I have to say, though… There was no real opportunity to say this earlier, but… I really am happy you two had found one another, Akira.” He said quietly. “Goro is very happy with you.”

“I’m glad.” Akira said, smiling softly to himself. “And I’m happy with him. I never thought this would end up this good, you know? I just wanted to be his friend, and now… I can’t even imagine us not being together.”

“I have certainly gotten used to hearing him sing love songs in the shower. It’s very calming, to hear that.” Yusuke smiled, and Akira couldn’t help but laugh.

It was a perfect little moment; a perfect first day of the rest of Akira’s second run. In that moment, it felt like nothing could go wrong...

And in that moment, they heard a gasp, and the sound of a cup breaking. Akira turned around, staring in surprise at Ann, who was looking at the TV in horror, her cup smashed after she dropped it to the floor in shock.

Akira heard the bell by the door ring, but didn’t turn around to check who came in. He had noticed the very thing that had made Ann drop her cup; and now, as they all fell silent and stared at the TV, the sound of it penetrated the sudden silence of the group, too.

“ _–the CEO of a well-known IT company has been found dead in his apartment this morning,_ ” The host continued talking in a clear, matter-of-fact voice. “ _The cause of death has not yet been established; however, the condition of the body as well as the ties of the deceased with the recent scandal involving two criminal groups referring to themselves as Medjed and the Phantom Thieves points in the direction of possible involvement of either or both of these groups in his death. It is one more death in the string of the mental shutdown cases that have been plaguing the city in recent months. Our experts on the matter, including a well-known politician who is personally interested in these cases, expressed their–”_

The sound died in Akira’s ears; going out of tune, turning to static and then disappearing, as if it was coming from an old radio. Slowly, feeling as if he was in a horrible dream, he turned around, and so did the rest of the Thieves.

There, in the door, his hand still on the doorknob, stood Goro Akechi, looking flushed and out of breath, as if he ran all the way here.

Akira reached his hand out and clutched on the counter, staring at the boy he thought he knew, he thought he _rehabilitated_ ; and felt the bottom fall out from his world.


	43. Whims of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves look desperately for their missing member; meanwhile, Akira comes to an important realization.

“Dude…” 

Ryuuji’s voice was choked up; in Akira’s ears, it sounded hoarse and unnatural, and as if it was coming from a very long distance away. He was looking at Goro; they all were. Akira didn’t understand. He had no idea what was happening. The shock and the immediate conclusion he drew from the information given made his mind go blank. It was just too much.

In the silence, Goro shook his head softly, taking a step back under the pressure of their looks. His eyes darted from one to the other, wide and filled with shock, disbelief and hurt. 

“It  _ wasn’t me _ …” He whispered, desperately. “Yusuke… Makoto…” 

He focused on Akira, and it seemed just  _ looking  _ at him caused him pain. His voice was quiet now,  _ pleading _ . “I didn’t… Akira…  I swear, I…” 

Goro’s voice cracked; and Akira failed to change his expression, to ask, to  _ say anything _ . He saw his boyfriend’s eyes water, and the next moment, he ran out of the cafe, the door slamming behind him, the bell over them jingling like crazy.

It was as if a spell has been broken. The Phantom Thieves looked at one another, the TV still going on in the background. Sojiro emerged from the kitchen, looking in surprise at their shell-shocked faces. 

“...what’re you kids doing, looking as if you’ve seen a ghost…?” He started, though Akira couldn’t hear him anymore. He shook himself off and shared a look with Yusuke; and in the next moment, the two of them broke into a run, heading to the door.

“Goro!” 

Akira was the first one out, looking around the dingy alleyway wildly. Goro was nowhere to be seen. Yusuke didn’t stop beside him, but ran towards the station. Behind Akira, the rest of the Phantom Thieves spilled from Leblanc’s door. Makoto stared at the raven with wide eyes.

“Akira… what they said on TV, do you think–”

Akira shook his head, feeling desperate. Where could Goro had run off to, again? He saw Yusuke appear again at the end of the alleyway, shaking his head - he didn’t catch him at the station, then. Akira closed his eyes, trying to calm down and  _ think _ .

“I mean...” Ryuuji started, rubbing the back of his head. “Goro said he didn’t do it…” He looked away, conflicted.

“Well, who else could–” Morgana started, but hesitated under Akira’s gaze. 

“Ryuuji’s right…  _ damn it _ , what were we thinking?” The raven said, gripping on his hair. Calm down.  _ Think _ .

“Where did he go?” Ann said, looking pale. One by one, the rest of the Phantom Thieves turned their eyes to Akira, waiting for him to say something; to give them direction. The raven breathed out and tried to focus again.

“We need to find him.” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Goro must have thought we were blaming him…”

“Well, we  _ were _ , kinda…” Ryuuji mumbled from the side. Akira sighed.

“Let me think… alright. Yusuke, call him, and keep calling until he picks up. Go to your apartment and wait there for him, maybe he’ll come back home. Ryuuji and me will scour through Shibuya, Makoto, check the police station and maybe ask your sister if he contacted her. Futaba, can you stay at Leblanc? Morgana will stay with you. And think up some good reason why we’re acting like a bunch of lunatics for Sojiro, okay? Ann, I want you to check every nook and cranny in Yongen Jaya, and then move on to Shibuya with us.” 

“Roger!” Ryuuji said, already milling about, his feet moving as if he was getting ready for a run. Around them, the rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded their agreement as well. Akira took a deep breath.

“Let’s go, let’s find him and apologize, and find out what the hell is going on, okay?” 

_ ‘Please, Goro,’  _ He thought. ‘ _ Just don’t do anything stupid…’ _

 

* * *

 

The sun hid behind heavy clouds by the time they got to Shibuya. The sky was rumbling and milling overhead, the clouds swirling like foam in a coffee cup. Akira’s feet barely touched the pavement. He was running, trying his best to keep the panic at bay, trying his best to choke down the uneasy, terrible feeling that rose in his chest like bile. 

They shouldn’t have reacted this way. They _shouldn’t have_. They heard the words ‘mental shutdown’, and immediately blamed Goro; what kind of friends were they? What kind of boyfriend was _he_? Akira felt sick just remembering Goro’s disbelief and his hurt, pleading look as he looked at _him_ , obviously thinking, _knowing_ that whoever else would blame him, his boyfriend would not… And what did he respond to this trust with…? 

Something cold and wet landed on his cheek, and Akira wasn’t entirely sure whether it was rain, or whether he started crying in sheer hopelessness. 

Shibuya was crowded, loud and bustling as always, though now that it started to rain, people were clearing off the streets. There was no flash of familiar white shirt and light-brown hair in sight; Akira called out Goro’s name a few times, but soon gave up on that. With rain falling, people talking and cars passing along the street, his voice got completely lost in the buzz of the crowd.

Akira ran up the Central Street one more time, all the way to Goro’s apartment; he nodded at Yusuke through the window, making sure his boyfriend wasn’t there yet, and passed Ryuuji on his way back, watching him run in the opposite direction. 

What else to do? Where else to go? Perhaps… Akira remembered the playground he had found Goro at the last time something similar to this had happened; but then, if Goro believed they had thought him a murderer, would he go where he knew Akira would look…? Did any of this make any sense, really? Perhaps they should just regroup and wait…

Akira shook his head, his hands clenched into fists. No, he was not  _ waiting _ , not after something like this. He was going to find Goro, and bring him home. This was all that mattered. 

Someone bumped into him, full speed, just as he was passing the alleyway by the Airsoft shop. Akira stared as thin, lithe hands wrapped around his arm, tugging on it insistently. He looked down at the small girl with no comprehension whatsoever; and then, embarrassingly late, the name had hit him.

“...Lavenza?”

“My master needs a word with you, Trickster.” The girl replied, her eyes so serious and cold, Akira paused for a second. Lavenza’s master…  _ Igor _ wanted a word with him? But then… why… 

“I can’t.” The raven shook his head, trying to pry himself out of her grip. “Let me  _ go,  _ I need to find–”

It was too late. The door to his prison cell swung open, and he has been pulled into the Velvet Room, falling through the blue haze and tangled chains.

 

* * *

 

How much time had passed, it was hard to tell. Usually, when Akira had visited his Velvet Room, he’d go from standing in the dingy alleyway by the entrance to standing in his cell, in front of Igor and Lavenza. Now, Akira blinked his eyes open blearily, laying on his hard, uncomfortable prison bunk. He felt weak; it was hard to gather his thoughts, as if he was going through a bad cold. He stood up, stumbling out from his open cell; for a moment, he felt the reality blur in front of him. His clothes changed, as if they glitched into another outfit, and then they were back to normal. Akira’s vision blurred, too; for a moment, he was sure he could see Goro’s wide, scared eyes in front of himself, the glint of golden chains tying his lover in place. For a moment, he could feel sudden, unexpected pain all over his body, and then the impression flew away, replaced by the familiar sight of Lavenza and Igor looking at him.

Right, Igor and Lavenza; Akira blinked away any residual blur and tried to focus. He couldn’t be here, he realized almost immediately. He  _ shouldn’t  _ be here. Goro was out there somewhere, and who knew what he was doing and thinking. Akira needed to find him…

His eyes focused on the cell behind the desk; he could see the familiar, golden glint even from all the way up there. Goro was sitting in his cell, his face in his hands; but the moment Akira took a step towards him, he felt something tug on his own wrists and ankles. He stared down in shock, only to see the chains that had fallen off him so long ago wrapped around him again, holding him back.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen you awake, my Trickster.” 

Akira turned back without a word, took a step towards his cell - and stopped. Before him, bars appeared, stopping him from leaving. 

“…my Trickster?”

Lavenza’s voice was soft and had a worried tone to it the raven didn’t expect. He felt… confused, by a lot of things. Slowly, feeling like an animal in a cage, he turned back to face them.

“Let me go.” He said, though even his words felt weak. Akira swallowed thickly, feeling some of the fog that clouded his mind clear out. 

“We cannot do that.” Lavenza said quietly. “My Trickster, do you remember the last time you’ve visited us?”

“…it’s been a while.” Akira felt himself say, and with a sudden feeling of surprise, realized it really has been. Now he was using some of his strongest Personas and not recruiting any new ones, coming over to Velvet Room felt redundant; and so, he had stopped doing it. Akira blinked, staring into the two pairs of piercing, thoughtful eyes keeping him in place.

No… that wasn’t it, was it? Even if he didn’t need new Personas, he  _ was _ in need of advice and guidance. Even if he didn’t feel like summoning any of his older masks… Ah, but he did, didn’t he…? He wanted Arsene back; just for a moment, and then the thought escaped him, as if it has been chased away from his mind. And with his jealousy… he didn’t even  _ think  _ of consulting Igor and Lavenza, and weren’t they the only ones truly able to understand and advise him…? And even before that… when he found out he couldn’t tell Goro about this being the second time he had lived through the events happening to them… he even  _ thought  _ he should go to the Velvet Room and demand answers. 

So then… why didn’t he…? 

Slowly, Akira felt himself step forward; nearing his quiet observers. Confusion and a thick, slithering fear started filling his mind. The questions he only now realized he has not been asking himself kept banging around in his head.

_ Why…? Why do I keep feelings the things I do…? Why did I keep away…? Why, why, why…..? _

“Igor… Lavenza… what is happening to me?”

The two of them looked at one another; and this time, it was Igor who spoke. 

“We have noticed a change in you, Trickster; and in the world that is shaping around your actions.” 

“You mean the Metaverse..?” Akira frowned, and watched as Igor shook his head patiently. 

“You have been warned, at the very start, that your actions might change the events from your previous game. The world you live in; your friends, the bonds you share with your Confidants… little changes, little decisions you have made in the duration of your game became reasons for the big, noticeable changes. In the minds of your friends; your enemies; even in the minds of strangers. And cognition, Trickster, influences not only the Metaverse, but the whole world…”

“I could see the changes.” Akira nodded, listening intently. “Things are happening faster; and the IT guy, the one we’ve seen on TV… he didn’t die the first time, did he? And the whole case with Medjed, that’s…”

“In some way, every person’s action influences the reality they live in.” Igor nodded slowly. “However, there are some individuals who, through their own merit and potential, become more…  _ prone _ , one could say, to influence the world around them. Even as little a thing as a different train being taken on a certain day… a question being asked of a right person…”

“...cup ramen being exchanged for a healthy meal, for once…” Akira cut in, feeling a faint smile tug at the corner of his lips. Igor’s ever-present grin widened as well.

“Indeed. Such people we call  _ Tricksters _ . And it is our duty, as the inhabitants of this Velvet Room, to guide and assist them in their role.” 

“I understand that.” Akira nodded quickly. “But that doesn’t explain…”

“Your role is  _ essential  _ to the fate of the world, Trickster. However, it might not always be of the same importance, or be, indeed, the very same role.” Igor’s eyes seemed to bulge even more than usual as he stared at - and through - Akira. The raven opened his mouth and then closed it again, frowning. 

“...why didn’t I come to the Velvet Room, Igor..? What kept me away?”

“Ah, yes… what did, Trickster? What happened, that made you unable to fully come into your proper role..?”

“I…” Akira looked away, trying to concentrate. It had started… when did it start, exactly? He had last came into Velvet Room to ask for advice about his nightmares; the ones that had turned the infiltration of Kaneshiro’s Palace, and every next one, into hell. But back then, Igor had said that these nightmares were…

“...Yaldabaoth?” Akira breathed, staring at the prison master. “ _ He _ ’s been keeping me away? But… that doesn’t make sense. I’m still fulfilling my role, I–”

“ _ Are you _ , Trickster?” Igor had asked, and his words stung like a whip. Akira stared, and then thought, slowly and carefully, about the events that had come to pass lately.

They had saved Futaba, so that was according to plan, but… What was  _ his  _ role in it..? And her rehabilitation, that was also… and the way they dealt with Medjed, wasn’t  _ Goro  _ the one who…

Akira’s eyes widened, as one after the other, the past events started to come back to him. Even back then, back at the start; it was Goro’s idea that ended up saving Shiho; Goro’s words that helped Yusuke, Makoto and Futaba awaken. And even at the very start, the first day they met… wasn’t it Goro who invited him for that dinner, who insisted on repaying him somehow for breaking his glasses, even after Akira initially refused…?

Igor’s grin widened still more, his bulging eyes bearing into the raven. Akira stared down at his chained hands, and saw the shackles fall off them as the realization hit him. Lavenza beamed at him from the side of the desk.

“...it’s not just my game anymore, is it?” Akira asked hoarsely. The realization was a shock to him; but as it slowly settled in his mind, it brought strange peace with itself. For the first time in  _ months _ , he finally understood what was happening. It finally,  _ finally  _ made sense.

“Very good, Trickster.” 

“Is  _ that  _ why his Velvet Room attendant is my look-alike? Is  _ Ren _ just…”

Lavenza nodded silently, her smile widening as well. Akira took a deep breath, and then turned to Igor again.

“So that’s why I’ve been kept away. But, joke’s on Yaldabaoth; everything is still going well… or  _ was _ , until today. But I’ll fix this… I will, I know I can.”

“You need to act, and fast, Trickster. There are other powers at play; the false god has not shown you his full power yet. He’s a manipulator, and he will use every move available to him to get his way. He already knows you’re more formidable a foe than he thought.”

Akira nodded, and took a step forward, once more ready to run, to  _ act _ …

And then he stopped. ‘ _ Alright, so the whole point of me coming here was to actually get me to do some thinking. Ask the questions you need answers for, you moron, or else you’ll forget again.’ _

“My nightmares…” He said, looking at Igor again. “The real-feeling ones. I wanted to ask for a while, but… Are all of them just Yaldabaoth messing with me? Are they just nightmares? Or… am I able to dream of the future, Igor?”

“All possible outcomes your mind conjures can become the future, Trickster.” The long-nosed man said. “They might be just ideas conjured by your own mind; but if the idea comes true, can you call it a prediction…?”

“So you’re not going to answer me.”

Igor’s smile widened slightly. Akira looked behind him, to that other cell; the one hidden in shadows, with golden chains glinting behind bars.

“…why can’t I tell him, Igor?” He asked quietly. “Why can’t I tell anyone about this not being my first time seeing all this…?”

“Unless one finds out on their own, you are not to reveal the second chance you have been given.” Igor said quietly. “This is part of our deal. Human mind is a delicate matter; sometimes, it takes only a thought to manipulate it into changing. Certain information is too risky to let it out into the world, rather than let people close to you understand it on their own.”

“…why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“I am bound by rules, Trickster; the same way you are. We are all playing according to rules, in this unfair game…”

Akira took a little breath, and then forced himself to calm down. There’ll be time to figure this out, and soon; for now, though, there were more pressing matters. He had gotten his answers from the duo; now it was time to act.

“I want Arsene back.” He said, and once Lavenza nodded and opened her compendium, Akira looked towards the cell, at Goro’s unmoving silhouette. He looked back at the prison master.

“Where is he, Igor?” 

“Can you think of no place, Trickster?” The old man replied with a question. “Can you think of no place where he, who is now convinced his friends turned their back on him, will run to, a place only he knows, somewhere only he has an access to? A place where he might hope to find respite and time to think over what to say and do now?”

Akira’s eyes widened, and he felt cold, slithering fear grip onto him. No, surely… Goro  _ wouldn’t... _

“I need to go.” Akira whispered hoarsely. Lavenza smiled and nodded as well.

“Go then, my Trickster,” She said; and behind him, Akira felt the door to his cell fling open once more. “Go, and be the guide of your destinies…” 

 

* * *

 

It felt like a nightmare.

How many times did he dream of this, Akira wondered, running through the lavishly carpeted corridors and ducking out of sight of the few Shadows that might have taken notice of him. He had messaged the rest of the Phantom Thieves the moment he had gotten out of the Velvet Room, asked them to gather before the Diet building and wait for them to get out. He was already running, realizing - too late - that he knew from the start exactly where Goro went, and simply didn’t want to believe it. 

The reality was too frightening to believe it, after all. 

Akira had thought, for just a while, of waiting for the rest of the Thieves, of charging inside Shido’s Palace as their whole group, and yet he didn’t do it. Neither did he tell them the keywords, for them to join him later on - no, this was something he had to do alone.

In any case, taking the Phantom Thieves with him would make it too similar to the nightmare. He couldn’t bear it - couldn’t risk it coming true. 

Akira squeezed into a vent and started to crawl, feeling like every second he took to pass from one place to the other stretched into forever. He jumped out of the vent and onto the metal floor of the engine room. He could hear it now, the moment he dropped down; the sounds of a fight, somewhere in front of him.

Akira started to run.

It was like a nightmare. It  _ was  _ a nightmare. His steps, echoing against the metal, the feeling of time running out, the bitter, awful,  _ painful  _ knowledge that he might be too late, and if he will be, that it will all be his fault,  _ his  _ mistake…

“Goro!”

Somewhere far above the wet, metal floor, on one of the beams, a figure in white turned, just as the Shadow he was fighting snatched the lightsaber from his hand and flung it down to clatter onto the ground. Akira saw Goro’s wide eyes on him; heard him scream as he was flung down, falling to the ground after his sword. Akira didn’t think; his hand came up, tearing the mask from his face.

“Come, Arsene!”

The light glinted on Nataraja’s wings; Akira felt the wings swoosh in the air before him, but his eyes were up, on the Shadow which knocked Goro down from the beam. He didn’t hesitate, hardly even needed to aim. Shots fired, and the Shadow crumbled to dust over their heads; only Akira wasn’t watching anymore. He ran to where Arsene, his wings sweeping the air, was slowly lowering himself to the ground, Goro held save in his arms, obviously shaken, but unscathed.

“I’ve got you.” Akira whispered; Arsene dissolved into warm, blue fire and reformed into the mask over his eyes. Akira’s arms wrapped around his boyfriend, pulling him close to himself in a bone-crushing hug. 

“A-Akira..?” Goro stuttered; Akira could hear his voice was still choked up, full of tears. “What– How did you–”

“I’m  _ sorry _ .” Akira whispered. “Goro… none of us blame you, I swear, I  _ promise _ , we were just surprised… we acted too rash, we were  _ stupid _ , and god, I’m so  _ sorry _ , I…”

Akira felt warm, strong arms wrap around him; arms that were accepting and so wonderfully, perfectly  _ alive _ . The raven pulled away, just a little bit, to cup Goro’s face in his hands and look over him, making sure he was okay.

“You’re not hurt, are you? God, Goro, from all the places you could have hidden in…”

“You came for me.” Goro whispered, and Akira knew he was holding back tears. “Akira, I  _ really  _ didn’t do it… Shido… he  _ asked me _ , that’s true… and I’m sorry I hid it, I’m so sorry, but I refused, I  _ promise _ , I had nothing to do with…”

“I know you didn’t.” Akira whispered, gently pushing Goro’s mask to the side and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “I know it. I trust you, Goro. And the others do, too. We’ll figure it out, right? We’ll find out what’s it all about. You can explain stuff to all of us later, once we’re out, and for now let’s leave, okay?”

“The rest of the Thieves…” Goro’s voice broke down again, and he clung to Akira. Like a child, the raven thought. A child in need of comfort, a child who thought he had, once again, lost everything. 

“They’ll believe you. They  _ know you _ , Goro.” 

“I couldn’t bear it.” The detective whispered. “The way you were looking at me… all of you… it was as if… I thought…”

“I know.” Akira whispered, stroking Goro’s hair. “But it was just shock. I promise, Goro. Please, let’s just go–”

“Leaving so soon?”

Akira froze, and if the look Goro had given him the next moment was anything to go by, the horror he felt reflected on his face. He didn’t need to look, or to hear Goro’s gasp once the two of them turned to face the voice.

Goro’s hand found his own and squeezed, and Akira felt  _ sick  _ with fear when his boyfriend hesitated, and then moved in front of him, shielding him from the newcomer.

“A Shadow… that looks like me, huh..?” He heard him whisper.

It wasn’t that Akira had forgotten him. It was hard to forget someone whose image tormented your nightmares. Still, seeing Cognitive Akechi there before him was not anyhow  _ better _ than seeing him back there, the first time they met. He was still the same perfect image of Goro, or rather of the mask his boyfriend once used to wear at all times. A shell, with polite smile and with eyes dead and empty, like two pools of blood. 

Akira took a step forward, coming out from behind Goro, Nataraja gripped tight in his hand. The puppet smiled pleasantly at him and walked closer; Goro’s abandoned lightsabre flickering and then breaking under a deliberate shoe.

“Goro, we need to go.” Akira said, quietly, in a strained voice. He rummaged in his pocket, searching for the Goho-M he  _ knew  _ he brought with him, just in case. The puppet’s eyes narrowed, and his gun rose; and at the exact moment, Goro had pushed him to the side, rising his own raygun. 

“I am to stop you here.” The puppet say, in a flat voice. “Captain’s orders. You will not go anywhere.” 

With his free hand, the puppet snapped his gloved fingers, making Shadows erupt into being all around them. Akira cursed, and felt Goro let go of his hand, saw his boyfriend’s eyes flicker around them, calculating their chances. Slowly, he lowered his gun, though just a bit. 

“ _ Shido’s  _ orders, you mean?” He asked, his voice shaking ever-so-slightly. “Is that all I am to him, then? A disgusting puppet, doing whatever he asks?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Cognitive Akechi smiled a mad smile. “I’m a puppet… and what are you, when all is said and done? The only difference between you and me is that you exist out there… but down at the core, you’re the real puppet.”

Akira opened his mouth to argue back, but he has been interrupted; Goro had  _ laughed _ , and a little, humourless grin stretched his lips before he replied. 

“If that’s what Shido considers me to be, then he’s more foolish than I thought. I’m no longer his puppet, you  _ caricature _ . He has no power over me, and–”

Cognitive Akechi’s grin widened; and as if frightened into silence by it, Goro’s voice grew quieter, fading away. The puppet cocked his head to the side, and changed his expression to mocking, pitying one.

“You poor little creature…” He cooed mockingly. “Is that what little Goro Akechi thinks of himself now? It doesn’t matter  _ who  _ pulls your strings, fool… you’ll always be nothing more than a puppet. And you know it, deep down, don’t you? You’ll follow anyone who makes you feel  _ wanted _ … and what skilled a puppeteer it must be, to make you believe you weren’t controlled this whole time… they even made you pull your own strings.”

Goro took a step back, and Akira found his hand again, gripping it.

“Don’t listen to it.” He said urgently. “He’s nothing but a figment of Shido’s cognition, he only wants to hurt you. Let’s go; there’s a lot of them, but we could…”

“I  _ said _ … You’re not to  _ go anywhere! _ ” The Cognition snarled, firing the gun. It wasn’t meant to hit any of them, Akira knew; but he still pushed Goro away, out of the way of the potential bullet. There was searing pain in his hand, and Nataraja dropped down to the ground, one of its wings shattered. Akira cursed, curling up and pressing his hand to his chest, trying to stop himself from screaming in pain. He saw, as if in slow motion, Goro’s wide, frightened eyes narrow; his mask being torn from his face, a call of  _ Robin Hood! _ being yelled out, and then it all turned into hell. 

The Shadows pounced; even without his sabre, Goro still managed to hold back the first attack, and by that time, Akira gripped his dagger clumsily in his left hand and joined the fray. It was nothing like their usual battle, all strategy, cool thinking and deliberation. This was clawing for survival, this was saving one another’s lives, over and over again, cutting throats and shooting through the heads, using every dirty trick up their sleeve only to keep each other alive. 

Gradually, Akira realized he was being pulled, deliberately but sneakily, further and further away; they were trying to separate them, take care of them one at a time. Arsene blocked a blow from a pouncing Cerberus, meant to take his head off his shoulders, and Akira ducked under his companion’s wings and slashed upwards, feeling blood gush over him right before it evaporated, together with the Shadow. He turned and yelled, blocking a blow from another enemy which immediately took over the beast’s place.

“Goro, use a Goho-M! Get out of here! The rest of the Thieves are out there, you can–”

“I’m not leaving you behind!” 

Akira felt the shot from the raygun flit by his head, scorching the ends of his hair; and the Shadow that was about to stab him in the back crumbled to dust behind him. The raven didn’t even notice; he was already running, and was just in time to push Cognitive Akechi away, getting his shot to miss Goro by inches. The puppet looked up at him, and though his face was scrunched up in rage, the eyes remained dead, unmoving. Akira dodged a hit by him, rolled over, yelled to Arsene to go and help Goro, and kicked out, hitting the Cognition right in the chest. They fell down together, but Akira was the first one to stumble back onto his feet. Cognitive Akechi was up, too, but bent in half, coughing out dark liquid that had to be his version of blood. Akira raised his hand, dagger poised to strike; one swing, one hit and it’ll be over. 

He saw his face - the face he loved, the face of the one he adored with all his being turn up to look at him; in the eyes like pools of blood he saw what could be a flicker of fear.

“Why are you just standing there?! Kill him! He’s not me, I’m right  _ here _ you moron!”

Akira’s hand shook, Goro’s voice was coming to him as if from a long distance. He hesitated for just few seconds, but it was enough. The flicker disappeared and was replaced with cold calculation as the Cognition kicked Akira’s legs out from under him, making him fall on his knees before it. Akira’s dagger clattered on the floor, kicked away, and Akira looked up, staring up the barrel of a gun. 

Akira had never seen what had happened in the interrogation room back then, after Sae had left. He sat in the room, tense and prepared for everything, prepared for the ridiculous,  _ mad  _ plan to fail. Prepared to see the boy he failed to help in time to walk in and kill him, like they knew he planned to do.

He’s never seen what had happened in the other, cognitive world at the time. He’s never seen Sae’s cognition of himself get shot and staged up for it to look like a suicide. But, Akira’s mind thought, ridiculously, perhaps it had looked like this.

Perhaps in that previous timeline, Akechi’s lips, too, twisted in a mad grin. Perhaps he, too, looked down at him the way his Cognition did now. Akira closed his eyes.

“Case closed… this is how your justice ends.” He heard the puppet drawl. From the side, he could hear Goro, the  _ real  _ Goro struggling, calling out his name.

“Akira!”

_ Bang! _


	44. Locking Up The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the dark engine room, Goro finally finds himself.

Perhaps it was true that, right before one died, they’d feel more alive than ever before. 

Akira’s senses grew so sharp, in the seconds that passed between him closing his eyes and hearing the shot, it felt as if he was going to go insane with the sheer intensity of it. He felt everything; each gust of stale air against his skin, each hair strand tickling his cheeks, each and every crevice in the metal under his knees. He was grasping onto life with his every sense, though he couldn’t move. The time seemed to have stopped, each of the precious seconds stretched into eternity.

_ ‘So my nightmares were right after all. I was to take Goro’s place in the end; one of us was always meant to die…’ _

Akira heard the shot, coming as if from a long, long way away. He did not open his eyes. 

And then, there was pain; but not the expected, searing one, the pain of the end of one’s life. No, this was the familiar pain of his shot-through hand throbbing, or his bruises stinging each time he breathed. The air filling his lungs tasted like wine on his tongue, and Akira was drunk with it. Every breath was a proof he was  _ still alive _ .

Warmth enveloped him; a gust of hot wind that smelt of Goro, that made him feel safe, guarded,  _ loved _ . To the side, he heard his boyfriend’s knees hit the floor, and finally opened his eyes.

The engine room seemed empty; all of their enemies flung against the walls. In the middle of it, only he and Goro remained. Everything was bathed in red; and that was because, Akira realized in the next second, his world was being obscured by the huge, red-hot sword of Goro’s Persona. Loki knelt behind him; his sword shielding him from harm, his arm circled protectively around his body. 

“Thank god…”

Goro was kneeling, breathing heavily, so overcome with relief it looked as if he was about to faint. Arsene was still with him; his wings uncovering the brunet’s figure, clearly having just protected him from whatever flung their enemies back. Goro himself didn’t seem to even notice the Persona. His clothes glitched horribly, his white-red, prince outfit constantly jumping to his previous one; the blue-black costume of Black Mask. 

Lost for words, Akira watched him slowly look up, and felt Loki’s figure shift around him, as the Persona turned its eyeless face towards Goro.

“...yet again you summon me to save  _ him _ .” He heard Loki say, the voice simultaneously on the very edge of perception and resounding loud and clear in his ears. “What now, boy? Will you banish me again, until such a time my power;  _ your real power _ is useful? Will you only use it for the pretty lie you so stubbornly insist on living?” 

For a few seconds that felt like centuries, Goro was silent. Then, Akira watched him stand up. His eyes were wide, his face flushed and sweaty with exertion... And yet, at that moment, Akira realized he has never seen Goro look so  _ sure  _ of anything.

“It’s no longer a lie; and no longer pretty.” Goro said, and somehow, just like his Persona, his voice managed to be quiet and yet it resounded throughout the whole room at the same time. Slowly, he dropped his gun to the floor. It clattered on the metal ground as Goro reached his hand out towards Loki.

“I know who I am. I know what I’ve done; I know what I  _ want to  _ do. I am no longer anyone’s puppet… and I will no longer run from you. So come, Loki! Let us serve no one but ourselves; let us cause chaos wherever we go, and make life  _ interesting _ , for once!”

Akira didn’t need to see Loki grin; he could  _ feel it _ , with every fibre of his body. All of a sudden, the gust of hot, powerful wind tugged on him again; and he watched as the Persona straightened up and  _ jumped _ , Loki’s sword turning in his hand. He saw Goro gasp and raise his hands up to shield himself from the blow, and in that moment, the golden chains he had seen so many times in the Velvet Room, binding him, materialized before him.

Loki’s sword went through them like butter, making disjointed, golden links scatter over the floor; and he didn’t stop there. The slash went through the mask that, all of a sudden, materialized back over Goro’s face. Loki’s sword split it in two, making it fall to the ground. For just a moment, Akira could glimpse Goro’s eyes; huge and yellow, burning on his face under a mask of blood; and then, everything turned into an inferno. 

A column of crimson fire rose from the mask, enveloping Goro and Loki, melting them into one. Akira shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness and held on as another gust of hot wind threatened to blow him away. He called out; he didn’t know whether it was Goro’s name or his codename, he wasn’t sure anymore. Everything had been lost in the roar of the fire of awakening. 

From the corner of his eye, Akira could see movement, and he turned just in time to see Cognitive Akechi get back onto his feet. The expression he was wearing looked  _ wild _ ; his face twisted with rage, twitching as he stared up at the column of flame. He aimed his gun at the figure just barely visible in between the inferno; and then fell down, a glimpse of genuine surprise visible on his face just before a heavy, metal arrow pierced right through it. Shido’s puppet disintegrated as he fell, turning into heavy, black soot petals. Akira looked back at the flame, not comprehending what had happened. 

Just as suddenly as they appeared, the flames died down; and in them, up in the air, he could see Goro’s silhouette, still poised for the shot. 

His costume stopped glitching; and it was  _ different  _ now, completely unlike either of the outfits Akira had seen so far. Goro wore a hood and some sort of light armour, all black and gold, with heavy, golden cuffs circling his wrists - the memory of the shackles that used to bind him. His weapon had changed, too. He was wielding a bow now; a huge, cruel-looking thing, with a metallic glint to it. It looked as if it was made of blades, and in the next moment, Akira realized that it  _ was _ . Goro dropped down to the ground lightly, rolled over; and as he swung his bow, it folded seamlessly in his hand, transforming into a huge, curved blade. 

“Come, Loki!” He yelled out, tearing his mask - a mask that was cut in half now, one side red and the other white - from his face. Goro’s eyes seemed to look past Akira; at the Shadows still surrounding them, gathering themselves after the initial shock wore off. Goro circled his sword above his head and closed his eyes briefly.

“Laevantein!”

The sword hit the ground, and Loki seemed to dissolve into red-black flame that roared and chased towards every Shadow still left around them. The flames went through Akira, like gusts of wind; but they enveloped and disintegrated the enemies, latching onto them like a pack of wild dogs, burning them away until there was nothing left. 

“Enough.” Goro said, quietly; and the flames died down obediently, gathering back onto his face and re-forming into his mask. Slowly, Goro looked over at Akira, who was still kneeling there, his injured hand clutched to his chest. He stared back, not even realising his own mask had returned to his face, nor did he recall when it happened.

For a long moment, they stared at one another; and then, Goro’s eyes seemed do go out of focus as he folded in on himself, slipping to the ground. Akira was just in time to catch him before he fell, clumsily trying to support him while pawing over his costume for a Goho-M. 

He was just about to use it when he felt Goro tense against him; and he soon saw why. 

The dark, soot-like petals that Cognitive Akechi disintegrated into swirled and danced in the non-existent wind. Another figure had formed from them, and Akira blinked in confusion. This one looked blurred, as if barely there; a silhouette of a woman, her face and hair reminiscent of Goro’s own. For just a second, she seemed to be looking at them; and then, with a smile, she disappeared. Akira felt Goro’s body tense up even more; and heard his voice, choked up and laboured.

“...let’s get out of here.” 

 

* * *

 

They left the Metaverse in silence. Akira still nursed his hand, trying to ignore the pain in it, trying to ignore the thin trail of blood he left in his wake. Goro, for his part, was barely walking, exhausted from awakening to his Persona once more. How did they manage to crawl their way back, even with the aid of Goho-M was a miracle, really. 

And yet, no matter the pain, no matter the exhaustion and danger… Akira felt happier than he ever remembered feeling.

This was it, he realized. Cognitive Akechi was gone. Goro didn’t die in the engine room; there were no watertight door there to close between the two of them. They were both alive. 

It felt so ridiculously good. Akira felt as if he was going to cry from relief. All this planning, all this work, all this worry and nightmares; and it was all gone now, gone forever. Of course, they still needed to be careful; only more dangers awaited them. But this one point, this one nightmare has been finally and unequivocally destroyed. Whatever happens next, his second run succeeded, and Goro had come out of the engine room alive. Stronger, even; and fully in control of himself. 

They fell out, from the deck of the damn ship onto the pavement in front of the Diet building and into the waiting arms of their friends. Akira let himself smile and melt into their hugs and exclamations; into Yusuke patting his back, into Makoto nagging him for being reckless and going in alone, into Morgana fretting about his hand, which - though no longer shot through, was still hurting badly and possibly ended up broken. 

He looked up with a grin from the mass of Ann’s hair as the girl ran up and hugged him tightly, the others moving to fret over Goro for now, in turns apologizing to him, hugging him and nagging him for making them worry; and their eyes met. Akira felt his smile soften; and then felt it freeze on his face. 

The way Goro looked at him made him feel as if the bottom of his stomach dropped. These were the eyes he saw at Leblanc just hours ago; eyes full of hurt and betrayal and disbelief. 

“...this was where I died the first time, wasn’t it.” He said quietly, and the Phantom Thieves fell silent. They didn’t understand, either; and Akira stared, lost for words. It couldn’t be… could it? Didn’t Igor say, no other person could know..? 

_ Not unless they found out by themselves _ , a little voice in his head said. Akira opened his mouth to say something, but his silence was enough of a reply. Goro let out a soft, disbelieving breath and shook his head, his eyes watering. He looked away, blinking angrily. Ryuuji was the first one to wake up; he looked from one to the other, his whole face a question mark.

“Dude, whatcha talkin’ about?” He asked. Goro’s smile felt strained as it appeared on his face. He seemed to ignore the rest of the Thieves for now, looking into Akira’s eyes; and somehow, also looking  _ through  _ him. 

“I didn’t want to believe. I mean, who  _ would  _ believe it? Only an insane person would come to a conclusion like that. But I’m right, am I not? This isn’t the first time you’re living through all of this… or more like, you  _ know  _ what’s going to happen. You knew what was going to happen, right from the start, right from the very first day…”

“Goro, I–”

“See, I always wondered.” Goro interrupted, his fists clenching. “It always felt so incredible, how well you could… ha,  _ foresee  _ what was going to happen. Like with Kaneshiro, and the way you kept me out of that damn picture… hell, even before that, the way you knew perfectly well what to tell me to make me do what you wanted… to make me  _ like you _ , to…” 

“Goro, what are you talking about?” Yusuke asked, seeming alarmed. Futaba’s wide eyes darted between the two of them, and then rested on Akira; so did Makoto’s. 

“I’m talking about the fact Akira was lying. To me… to all of us.” Goro said, looking right into Akira’s eyes. He could barely endure that look. “Didn’t it always make you wonder, how well he seemed to know us, even before we all met him? Didn’t it drive you  _ mad _ , the things he’d say; always so perfectly fitting what you wanted to hear?”

“But that’s–” Ann whispered, and then fell silent. Goro shook his head.

“I was never sure, and I didn’t want to believe, like I said… and how  _ could  _ I believe such an idiotic thing, that a boy I met ‘by accident’...” The inverted commas fell right into place as he spoke. “...was… what, a time traveller? Something of the sort, anyway?” 

“Goro, that’s ridiculous, come on…” Morgana murmured, but he, too, fell silent. Goro’s lips turned up in a cruel sneer. 

“Is it, though? With us knowing that Metaverse exists, and distorted desires can shape the reality under our own… is it really that big a stretch? But, as I said, I was never sure. I never wanted to be, because of what it would mean. But then, if I’m not right, how the hell did you know how to find me, Akira?  _ No one _ knew the keywords to Shido’s Palace, not all of them. How did you know to look for me in the engine room, where you can only get to if you have a map and know where to go? How did you magically foresee the ‘Shadow that looks like me’ you were so frightened about the other night? I’m not a moron, even if you so obviously think I am!” 

Akira stared helplessly as, before him, his lover shook in anger and held-back tears. The Thieves were all looking at him, their eyes wide, their mouths open. Goro’s voice fell down a notch.

“...tell me I’m wrong.” He said, and his tone turned pleading. “Explain how you did all this, and so many other things. Tell me I missed something; some stupid detail that says this isn’t true, that you didn’t just… trick me. Trick all of us. Tell me you had no idea what was going to happen; that you’ve never seen it happen before. Akira,  _ tell me I got this wrong _ .”

For the second time, Akira parted his lips.

It would be so easy; he could think of something, some excuse that’d be believable enough. Igor had told him the words. He had premonitions in his dreams sometimes, because of the Metaverse thing frying his brain just a bit. He never lied or manipulated any of them, he’d never. It would be so easy to say all this; and Akira knew he couldn’t do it. And so, he looked away, and for the first time since the beginning of this second timeline, found he could talk about this without being stopped from doing so.

“...you didn’t.” He said quietly, and the world seemed to stop around them. “You didn’t get it wrong.”

They stared at him, their eyes wide and filled with disbelief. Akira understood how Goro must have felt, back then, at Leblanc. Goro’s eyes right now were so wide, so filled with hurt Akira could not look at them. He didn’t need to; the next moment, Futaba spoke, and all eyes turned on her.

“...you… you’re like… you’re living through this… the second time?”

“...yes. I didn’t choose to; I still… am not quite sure how this works, but–”

“You knew for  _ months _ , then? About… me?” Futaba whispered, and looked up at him; and if Goro’s hurt look was painful to see, Futaba’s… Futaba’s  _ broke his heart _ . 

“You knew I was in that house, just a street away, for months… believing I killed my mum… and you did  _ nothing _ ..?” 

“Futaba, I…” 

“Whoa, whoa, wait…” Ryuuji interrupted, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ve no freakin’ idea what’s happening but… let’s just get somewhere a bit less out in the street and talk, and we can–”

“There’s nothing I want to talk about anymore.” Goro said. Akira still refused to look at him; he  _ couldn’t.  _ He could hear how choked up Goro’s voice was, and knew his boyfriend was crying. “Not with  _ him _ . How  _ could you  _ even… All this time… I thought I was  _ understood _ , by someone, for the first time in my damn life. I thought someone was willing to give me a chance. But you just… never did, did you? God, how stupid I must’ve looked to you…”

“Goro, please, I didn’t–” 

“...you knew about Madarame, then, too?” Yusuke asked quietly, and it was like another stab through Akira’s heart. “All this… idiotic pantomime of giving me a choice whether to change his heart or not… you knew from the start what he’s done… to his students… to my  _ mother _ …”

“How could you hide something like that from us, Akira?” Makoto asked, and then clenched her teeth, too. “And… all that… with Hifumi, did you… you did it all on purpose, didn’t you. You made us meet, because you thought we’d like one another…? Or were we together the first time, too..?”

“Hey, you guys are going too far.” Morgana said in alarm, moving to stand in front of Akira. There was a shift in their group; Futaba, Yusuke and Makoto stood around Goro, shielding him; but Ryuuji, Ann and Morgana stayed with Akira, looking still shocked, but determined. 

“Are we?” Goro snapped at him. “I think we’re not going far enough.” 

“We  _ don’t know  _ what happened! If you’d give the guy a chance to explain himself–” Morgana argued, but Goro interrupted him, and this time, he yelled out.

“I don’t  _ want  _ to hear his explanations! I don’t want to hear  _ anything from him _ , ever again, do you understand? I’m  _ done  _ being manipulated and… and  _ tricked!  _ Do you know how that feels, finding out that the person you thought–” His voice broke; and so did Akira’s heart. 

“Dude, I get what you’re saying, I  _ do _ , but you’re not thinking right.” Ryuuji said quietly. “Whatever the hell is going on, Akira’s still our–”

“Oh, shut up, Ryuuji.” Futaba snapped, and her voice sounded choked up, too. “It’s all very well for you, you don’t understand a thing!”

“Hey, that was uncalled for–” Morgana growled, the fur on his back standing up. Ryuuji looked away; he actually looked hurt. 

“...I don’t care.” Ann said, in a voice that somehow made all of them fall silent. “I don’t care about… manipulation and second times and whatever. I knew from the start Akira knew more than he let on. He’s the Leader; of course he would. And… if he used that knowledge to save Shiho and me…” Ann’s lips pressed together, and Akira was shocked to feel her hand reached down, taking his healthy one and squeezing it tightly. 

“If you morons want to see only the bad stuff and ignore all the good Akira gave us,  _ all of us _ , then go! Don’t listen to him! But I’m going to stay and fight right alongside him, because he’s my  _ friend _ , and without him, I’d be… I don’t even want to think about what I’d end up as!”

“Ann…” Akira said, weakly. She looked back at him, her eyes fierce. Ryuuji nodded from behind her and stepped closer, too. 

“Say what you like, all of you. Akira’s my buddy, and always has been.” He shrugged. Morgana meowed defiantly and jumped into Ryuuji’s arms. Akira looked between the two groups that had suddenly formed; the distance between them became larger now, and Akira thought, ridiculously, that perhaps it was far enough they might never again be able to bridge it.

“I’m  _ sorry _ .” He whispered, staring at his feet. “I  _ couldn’t  _ tell you. You need to believe me; I  _ tried _ , but I never–”

“You couldn’t tell us, could you? Well, it’s all okay then.” Goro scoffed, and shook his head. “...I don’t care if you three want to keep being puppets for Akira to play with. I’m out of here.” 

He turned and left, walking away; after a moment, Futaba shook her head and trotted after him. Yusuke and Makoto looked at each other in silence, and then Yusuke sighed and left as well. 

“Makoto, I–” Akira tried again. She shook her head.

“I’m sorry, Akira.” She said quietly. “I think we… we all need a break.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonderful Spoofen drew [the design of Goro's new costume for this chapter!](https://twitter.com/spoofen_art/status/1111907129722585088?s=20) Please give them love!
> 
> EDIT: Two more amazing people sent me their art for this chapter! 
> 
> You can see [tinyheartbag's amazing Goro here](https://tinyheartbag.tumblr.com/post/183861429114/fanart-from-chapter-44-of-the-fanfic-new-game-by)  
> and [ray's beautiful art here!](https://twitter.com/hinazumis/status/1112945055768096768?s=20)


	45. Severance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira has to deal with the new reality, and he meets a new old friend.

Silence.

Akira didn’t expect  _ this  _ to be the thing that hurt so much. About half of the Phantom Thieves had walked away from him, and what bothered him the most was the silence they left behind, sucking all the sound remaining into it. 

There will come a time, he knew, for thinking about it and blaming everything from the universe itself to his own self-absorption for what had just happened. For now, Akira felt completely numb. As if he just… couldn’t comprehend what was happening anymore. 

Ann and Ryuuji looked at each other on either side of him; he felt Ann’s hand leave his own and rest, very gently, on his shoulder. 

“...Akira? We should go, right? We… we’d all really like to know what happened…” She said, and her voice was careful and meek, as if she was scared he would shatter to pieces if she spoke too loudly. Akira didn’t understand it; he could hardly understand anything right now. His ears were filled with white noise, it all felt like a bad dream. 

This surely had to be just another nightmare, right?

The trip to Leblanc was quiet with the same, void-like silence. Akira pretended he didn’t see the worried looks Ann, Ryuuji and Morgana kept sharing between themselves, pretended he was simply tired. He tried to focus on the pain in his right hand; even pressed on it from time to time, when the others weren’t looking. It hurt, but it grounded him; he had something to focus on, and thanks to that, he didn’t need to think. 

“Let’s… we should go to the doctor first, get that hand of yours looked at.” Morgana said, once they arrived at Yongen Jaya. Akira realized he didn’t even notice them leaving the train. He simply followed his friends, walking behind them as if he was being tugged along on a string. His head started to feel strangely light, as if it was filled with air and nothing more. It pulled him forwards, though he didn’t know where to.

Still, the mention of Takemi woke him up, if just slightly. He shook his head with incredible effort. 

“No… we’ll talk first.” 

“We’ll wait.” Morgana shook his head stubbornly, and Akira had no strength in him to argue anymore. He sighed, nodded, and they went to the clinic. 

The pain helped, again. For a while, he could focus on Takemi prodding at him with the usual good-natured sadism. His hand wasn’t broken, he learnt, but it was still badly strained. He got painkillers he had no intention of taking, got his hand smeared in something and wrapped in a bandage, and that was it. Akira wished Takemi would have taken longer than that.

It was still just past noon, and Akira felt it made absolutely no sense. It felt like eons had passed since they ran out of Leblanc this morning. The storm had finished by now, but the clouds were still hanging overhead. It wasn’t half as gloomy as it should be. He hesitated before entering Leblanc, and then forced himself to enter it. Sojiro squinted at him suspiciously from over the counter, and then his forehead furrowed in concern, and Akira  _ wished  _ it didn’t. He couldn’t bear lying to Boss right now, and neither did he want to explain himself to yet another person. 

“Akira… We should probably go upstairs.” Ann murmured, and Ryuuji nodded, but Morgana jumped into one of the booths and shook his head. 

“No, let’s stay here.” He said firmly. “Akira needs a coffee and anyway, look at him. You want to drag him upstairs now?”

It didn’t sound logical to Akira, and he knew Morgana had to have another motive for making them stay, but he felt too tired to think about what it was. He slid into the booth obediently and stayed silent while they got their coffees and a soda for Ryuuji. He waited until the three remaining friends he still had sat around him and the drone of the TV announcer filled the silence enough it would mask what exactly  _ he  _ was talking about.

And then, Akira started to talk. 

He told them everything he was able to. How he had lived through the year of his move into Tokyo, and then woke up in April again, remembering mostly everything that had happened during his previous run. How he was told this was a chance for him to fix his mistakes, and how he decided to go along with it, trying to change what he was unable to change the first time.

He told them of the confusion; of the two timelines converging with one another in his mind. Of the blank spots in his recollections, where the memory failed and wasn’t as clear as it was back in April. Of his feeling of losing what he never had the second time; of his jealousy and the feeling he was no longer needed. 

And then, he told them of the advice he had been given; of realizing his true role in this ‘second run’ of his. Of how relieved he felt; of how much sense it made, and how it made him feel he wasn’t a stranger in this timeline, but had a place of his own. And he told them, in short, broken words, of what had happened inside Shido’s Palace; and how it all crumbled to dust on the same day he had finally been given answers about what his role in it all truly was.

They didn’t interrupt him, and understood - this time - when he suddenly stopped at times, unable to speak of things that didn’t happen yet. They didn’t ask many questions, either. Akira figured out they had a hard time believing him, even now, and needed time to get used to the idea of what he was going through. He didn’t really blame them. He was grateful; he felt so tired, so  _ empty _ … If he had to be interrupted and answer questions while finally letting it all out, it might have just been too much.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all this earlier.” He finally said, staring at his hands. His voice sounded hollow; he had to force himself to inject any real feeling into the empty words. “I couldn’t… well, and I didn’t really want to, either, I suppose.” He sighed softly. This was it, wasn’t it? After the first time he tried to tell them about his second run… Didn’t he feel relieved that he had the perfect excuse for not sharing it with anyone else? It felt so nice to be special in  _ something _ . To still be the leader, keeping everyone from harm, even if they didn’t know what they were being steered away from...

“Dude… it’s fine, seriously.” Ryuuji mumbled, his open, honest face scrunched in worry. “I mean, that shit sounds scary as hell, from what you’re saying. And like… if not for you explaining all that, I dunno… I don’t think I’d have understood back then, even if you told us.”

“I stand by what I said before.” Ann shrugged. “I always knew you knew more than you were letting on. I didn’t think it’d be full-on premonition business, but…” She hesitated, and then looked carefully at Akira. “Say… back then… when you sent me over to Shiho’s, so that Kamoshida wouldn’t… I mean… you could only know he’d try to… if… I mean, back then, what…” Her voice trailed off. Akira nodded, not looking up at her.

“Back then, the first time, I talked you out of going to meet him, just like this time.” He said quietly. “But I didn’t know about Shiho.” 

Ann took in a deep breath, calming herself down. Akira closed his eyes briefly and then continued. 

“Kamoshida got angry, and took it out on her. The next day, there was a suicide attempt, thankfully unsuccessful. Over the course of the year, I watched you help Shiho rehabilitate and stand up on her own two legs again; I saw you confess to her the first time, up on the roof, when she went there to battle her demons. But… she decided to move away and change schools, to escape the trauma and stigma it gave her. She left some months before I did.” 

Ann reached out and squeezed his healthy hand tightly. She was crying, Akira was sure; for a long moment, there was silence between them. Finally, he felt Ann’s forehead rest against his shoulder.

“Thank you…” She whispered, and now Akira was sure she was crying. 

“...you shouldn’t.” He said, with the same blank resignation in his voice. “I almost  _ forgot _ . I was almost too late because of that. And it wasn’t my idea that saved her, anyway.” 

“If not for you, this all would’ve happened again. Do I look like I give a damn about details?” Ann said, in a fierce, no-argument-allowed tone of voice. Ryuuji nodded from the side; and Akira felt his weight on him as his friend’s arm circled his shoulder. Even Morgana meowed in agreement. 

“What I still don’t get though…” Ryuuji murmured after a while, shifting his weight a bit. “I mean… I’m not blaming you, mate. But what the others said… I mean, couldn’t you have acted earlier, even if you couldn’t talk about what would happen?”

“Oh come on, Ryuuji.” Morgana meowed, frowning. “Do you even remember how  _ brutal _ Futaba’s Palace was on all of us? We almost got killed in there, and we’re  _ way  _ stronger than we were at the start. Can you imagine what would have happened with us if we went there right away?”

“...oh, good point.” Ryuuji swallowed, patting Akira’s back. “Heck, good point that, Mona.” 

“That, and…” Akira hesitated, before sighing. “I could have acted earlier, but… I was so  _ scared _ . The previous time… everything went well. We  _ won _ . But we lost… I wasn’t able to save…” His voice trailed off; he felt so tired, it was a feat to just keep himself upright.

“I thought this was the only thing I had to change.” He managed to gather himself up again. “I was afraid to change anything else. I didn’t, and stuff still changed so much... I can barely recognize the events anymore. Everything’s different now. But… it shouldn’t have mattered. Like with Shiho… back then, that was what made us go into the Palace, it was the last straw that made the Phantom Thieves form. But it happened anyway this time around…”

“Because you were there to convince us, dude.” Ryuuji shook his head. “I mean… I wasn’t really so hot on risking we kill a guy. But you three were so sure of it, I ended up believing we can pull this off… and then, it all just turned out to work out perfectly, and…”

“The point is,” Morgana interjected, once Ryuuji seemed to lose the words he wanted to say. “Whatever happened, still happened according to some overall plan, because you were in the right place in the right time. And… I remember you trying to tell  _ me  _ something, at least, back then. I remember you couldn’t. Akira, the way I see it, you did the best you could. It’s not your fault that… that it all ended up like this.” 

“See, you’re wrong.” Akira smiled bitterly, closing his eyes again. He heard them take in a breath, and he raised his hand wearily. God, he really didn’t want to argue right now. “Look… I did what I thought was best. I wanted to save everyone and make everyone happy. But the truth is, I  _ did  _ manipulate you. I did use the knowledge I had to make you do what I wanted. So I had good intentions; so what? I still shouldn’t have done it this way. And now… the rest of the group, we’re all…”

“They’ll come around.” Morgana sighed, jumping onto Akira’s lap and curling up there. “Give them time.” 

For a moment, there was silence; and then, Morgana spoke again, addressing the world in general. 

“Also… for what’s it worth, I’m not… angry at you. Or anything. Yeah, you knew stuff was happening, but… you used that knowledge to encourage me, and showed me I had friends here. I never… ugh, this is pissing me off! Akira, I really thought I was all alone, and no one would care if I return to my body or not. And you… made me realize this wasn’t true.”

“Amen to that.” Ryuuji nodded, grinning at him sheepishly. “Again, I don’t give a damn about all that funky stuff. You’re my best buddy, and I gather you always were, this time around or the previous one.” 

Akira felt his lips stretch into a smile. He wished he could make it even just a bit less fake, but he  _ couldn’t _ . It was too painful, and he was too tired, and he just wanted to rest and hope that tomorrow, he’ll be able to wake up and realize it was all a bad dream. He appreciated his friends’ support, but right now… he only needed to rest.

“You know my opinion on the matter already.” Ann said. “As for the rest… Morgana is right. Give them time. They’ll come around.” 

 

* * *

 

Akira slept. 

He was aware he wasn’t quite acting like himself. There was a part of him that wanted to jolt up and run, act,  _ do something _ , anything. Things could be fixed; he could explain himself, convince the others, he could still mend his mistakes and make it all better.

It was a tiny part, however; and the rest of him firmly stubbed it out of existence. The rest of him only wanted to sleep, and pretend the world outside of the attic didn’t exist. 

He had dragged himself up to his bed and fell into it, without changing his clothes; all he did was grab his necklace and pull it off, throwing it to the side, just to stop it feeling as if it burnt his skin. Morgana meowed in alarm when he saw that and jumped after the necklace.

“Hey, you’re gonna lose it at this rate!”

Akira wasn’t sure if he managed to shrug; he was asleep before his head even hit the pillow. He woke up in the evening, briefly, to hear Sojiro call him for dinner; but he ignored it, and fell asleep again, and he was allowed to rest. 

He had woken up again when it was dark and quiet outside; Morgana’s curled up body a welcome presence by his side. Now, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t fall back asleep; and spent the rest of the night fighting with his thoughts and the misery that hung over him like a huge wave, ready to crush him. 

If he only allowed himself to dwell on it; if he only allowed himself to break, to  _ feel _ , he knew he’d be reduced to a sobbing mess. And so, in the act of cosmic self-defence, he forbade himself from feeling. He let the numbing emptiness fill him, and focused on that; staring into the sky behind his window and chasing away any thought that threatened to enter his mind.

“...Akira? Are you awake?” 

Akira blinked, and realized the night escaped him while he was battling with his own mind. He tried to focus his eyes on the pair of blue ones, belonging to Morgana. The cat pawed against his nose, very gently.

“You should eat something.” 

“I’m not hungry.” Akira said, in a hoarse, cracked voice. He closed his eyes, pulling the blanket over himself more. 

“Akira…”

“I’m tired, Morgana. Please, let me sleep.” 

He listened, and then heard the smallest sigh; and felt a small body curl up beside him once more, a low, purring sound pressing against his heart. He had to stop himself from cuddling the cat to his chest, and for the first time since he came back, he  _ felt _ \- and the feeling was gratefulness. 

The sky turned brighter now the sun was up. Akira heard the sounds of Leblanc coming back to life. Hours passed, and his stomach gurgled in protest, but Akira ignored it. He was sure he heard familiar voices downstairs, and he couldn’t bear the thought of coming down right now. 

He just wanted to sleep.

 

* * *

 

And now, it was two days later. 

There was only silence. 

Oh, of course, Ann and Ryuuji called to check on him, and even visited him a few times. They were what managed to, together with Morgana, get him out of the bed, into the bathhouse, eating something and changing into some more comfortable and clean clothes. Akira felt awful, letting them trouble themselves with him, and went with every order being made without a fuss. Beyond that, and once everyone but Morgana had finally gone, he resigned himself to laying on his bed and watching the sky change from light to dark again, and sleep, sleep, sleep…

He didn’t even notice dawn as it came, staring at the sky that turned from blue, to grey, to inky black and then to rosy pink. It was clear outside; the first day of school will be beautiful. 

“...oh, you’re awake.” 

Morgana’s voice was quiet, and Akira smiled almost despite himself when he felt his friend jump up on top of him and curl up there, purring. Out of all his friends, Morgana was the only one he truly didn’t feel like escaping from right now. He closed his eyes, petting Morgana’s soft fur and trying to get himself to sleep some more. 

Sleep was good. He hadn’t had any dreams, ever since they returned from Shido’s Palace; and Akira welcomed these moments of unconsciousness. He didn’t need to deal with himself in them.

He heard the bell jingle, and then the usual sounds of Leblanc return. He debated going down for an early breakfast, but ended up deciding against that. The thought of having to swallow food still made him feel sick. 

He curled up more and pulled the blanket over himself. The steps coming slowly up to the attic surprised him, and Akira hesitated; but didn’t acknowledge them in the end. Maybe Sojiro just came to wake him up for school, and he’ll only call for him before going away.

He didn’t. Akira heard him stand by the stairs for a bit, and then walk closer, sitting on the edge of his bed. Akira stiffened when he felt a hesitant hand rest on his head.

“...now kid, I know you’re not asleep.” Sojiro said quietly, and Akira slowly opened his eyes, though he didn’t move. 

“...I’ll get up soon. I won’t be late to school, promise.” He replied. Sojiro sighed, patting his head lightly. 

“Futaba tells me you and the other kid broke up.” The older man said. Akira screwed his eyes shut. He didn’t respond to that. 

“So it is true, huh.” Sojiro sighed again. “I couldn’t believe it. I mean… I’ve seen you two just the day before, all smitten and–”

“Can you–” Akira snapped, and then stopped, looking away. He closed his eyes again. “Can we not talk about this?” 

“...right. Sorry.” Sojiro sighed again, ruffling Akira’s hair. “Come down and eat. You can’t just sulk up in your room, kid. That’s the worst you can do.” 

“Mhm.” 

“And… you know… you can talk to me about this stuff. Or any other stuff.” The older man said quietly. “I may not be the best caretaker to you, but I’m still one. And… I don’t really like what’s been happening with you last few days.”

“Thank you.” Akira said, hating himself for the empty tone he had responded in. Sojiro sighed and patted his shoulder awkwardly. 

“It’ll get better.” He said, somewhat lamely, and then stood up and walked out of the room. Akira sighed and rolled off the bed, slowly getting ready for school.

He avoided Morgana’s blue eyes the whole time. 

 

* * *

 

Akira’s bag felt heavy when he swung it over his shoulder. His uniform felt weirdly stiff on his body; he got used to more comfortable clothes during the long summer break. His mind ran back to it, and then crashed into a wall.

No, he could not think about it right now. He could not think at all. 

He forced himself to dawdle as long as he could, not to be forced to spend a long time down at Leblanc. It took Morgana telling him to get going to get him to stand up and walk down the stairs. 

He did not expect Futaba to be sitting there. Her clean plate was sitting next to his own, filled with quickly cooling curry.

Slowly, unsure what he should do, Akira walked close and sat down on his spot, staring into his food. 

“...hello.” Futaba said, staring ahead. Akira nodded, and started to eat. He had to battle with himself to swallow each spoonful, and managed about half of the cold curry before pushing it gently away with an apologetic look at Sojiro. The older man simply shook his head and grumbled something about food waste. He had to be really worried, by how quiet the grumble was. 

“Futaba… I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you there alone, no matter what. You’re… you’re right to be mad at me for just… ignoring your pain for so long.” Akira whispered, once the man busied himself in the kitchen. Futaba didn’t seem to have heard him. Akira sighed and stood up, gathering his bag once Morgana jumped into it, looking between the two of them quietly. 

“...have a nice time at school.” The girl said, just as he rested his hand on the door handle. She didn’t sound angry and neither did she sound cheerful; Futaba’s voice felt as if she tried to make it sound casual, but failed somewhere on the way.

Still… she was talking to him. It was  _ some  _ improvement.

Akira bit his lip so hard he felt he might have broken it and nodded, wordlessly. Some of the emotions he’s been repressing until now threatened to break over him; and he really,  _ really  _ couldn’t break down before school. 

“Thanks. I’ll be off now.” He managed to choke out, and left. 

 

* * *

 

The sun was shining bright; the sky a beautiful, azure blue. Akira squinted at the sudden brightness and sighed, hanging his head down as he walked to the station, onto the train and then to school.

Not stopping anywhere, not looking at the news, not glancing around as he changed the trains. That was the thing to do. Shibuya passed behind the windows of the train, and Akira felt relieved, seeing it disappear. 

Ryuuji had waved at him by the gate with a worried grin on his face, and a greeting that felt careful and forced in Akira’s ears. Ann had smiled at him encouragingly as he took his seat in class, and Akira felt  _ sick _ . At least Morgana tried to treat him… well, normally, as he quietly commented on the lessons and made sure Akira wouldn’t fall asleep on his desk.

Still, the prospect of spending lunch with Ann and Ryuuji, and enduring their worried glances shared behind his back was too much. Akira stood up as soon as the bell rung and bolted, leaving Morgana with Ann to think up some excuse for him. After half a day of class, he needed to breathe.

Breathe - now there was the thought. Akira was out of breath by the time he got all the way up to the roof, but it was worth it. Here, no one should bother him for a while at least, and he’d be able to hide until the end of the break. Akira nodded and pushed the door open, with some relief, and took in a deep breath. Suddenly, he heard a gasp and met a pair of familiar eyes looking at him quizzically.

“Excuse me…” Haru said, meekly. “Did you… need something?” 

Haru. Akira’s already numb, empty mind filled with confusion. Well, this was… not supposed to happen like this, wasn’t it? Haru… they met Haru a lot later, and it was… back then…

She smiled at him in a somewhat confused way and stood up from over one of her planters. A strange, soft feeling came over Akira. Here was his friend, who didn’t know him yet; and she was there, and waiting for his help, and perhaps, up on this roof, everything could be alright again. 

“...you’re the transfer student the school was all buzzing about, aren’t you?” She said with a gentle smile. Akira nodded mutely. She beamed at him.

“You don’t need to worry. I understand. It’s hard to withstand all this whispering and everything.” She hesitated, and then looked away. “If you need a place to hide away at, you’re welcome to keep me company here. I have permission to be here from the teachers, so I’m sure you won’t get into any trouble, either.” 

“Thank you.” Akira murmured, and then felt an actual, genuine smile tug gently on the corners of his lips. “Can I… Can I help you with your gardening?” He asked, pointing at the planters. Haru’s eyes  _ shone _ . 

“Oh, are you interested in gardening?” She asked, clapping her hands together. “How lovely! Yes, of course… oh, I’m sorry, we weren’t introduced, were we?” 

“Akira Kurusu.” Akira said. 

“My name is Haru Okumura.” She nodded, and extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kurusu-kun.” 


	46. Bridging the Gaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves try to bridge the gaps between them.

Over the last few days, Akira couldn’t say what it was that he needed. 

His mind was filled with paradoxes; he wanted to be with his friends, but even just seeing Ann and Ryuuji made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. He wanted to make up with Goro, but the idea of reaching out and risking the person he loved telling him that he wanted to have nothing to do with him again was too painful to bear. He longed for comfort, but the moment someone tried to give it to him he only felt guilt and wanted to escape. 

In truth, Akira really only wanted to sleep - sleep and pretend this all didn’t happen, and that he’d wake up the next morning and find out it had all just been a long, terrible dream. 

Now, hunched over the planters, with the sun burning his nape and with Haru’s presence beside him, Akira felt - well, not exactly better, but  _ calmer _ . Perhaps this was what he needed; a moment’s respite, high up on the roof and away from the whole world…

...no, that wasn’t it, was it? 

Akira smiled bitterly to himself, digging holes in the fresh soil with his fingers and wondering whether it was possible to bury his heart in one of them. This wasn’t it; it was never about running away. He knew what he needed, and he knew that it was absolutely out of his reach; gone, the moment he allowed Goro to believe he’s been lying to him all along. 

He needed Goro. He wanted him, so much it hurt even to think about it, so Akira tried not to. But there was a part, a prickly, desperate part of him that only wanted for his boyfriend to come back, to hug him and kiss him and make the world right again. 

Akira felt pathetic even thinking about it, but now he started, he couldn’t stop. Words banged around his head - well-meaning words, but ones that hurt so much. 

_ Futaba tells me you and the other kid broke up. _

And then, unbidden, Goro’s face floated up to the surface of his recollections; the look of hurt and betrayal he looked at him with...

_ I don’t want to hear his explanations! I don’t want to hear anything from him, ever again, do you understand?  _

_ Do you know how that feels, finding out that the person you thought– _

“Kurusu-kun?” 

Akira blinked, looking down at his hands. He was bleeding; there had to be a sharp bit of gravel or glass in the soil, and he wasn’t paying attention as he dug in it, scraping his fingertip. He stared at the small cut; it kept bleeding, but he couldn’t feel any real pain. 

“Oh no, you’ve hurt yourself! Here, let me…” 

Gentle hands wrapped around his own, and then Haru was rummaging in a bag she had left by the wall, pulling out some water and bandages. Akira sat there, wordlessly, watching as she ran back to him and started to take care of the cut. He imagined what Goro would have done if he was here; Akira tried to stop himself, but his imagination worked against him. He could almost picture his lover’s face scrunching up in sort of a grumpy worry; he’d be careful, wrapping up the little cut and he’d lecture him about safety; he’d say–

“Really, you need to be more careful when doing this sort of thing, Kurusu-kun! It’s just a small cut, but you could have really hurt your hand, and… oh no, are you alright?” 

Akira bit his lip, feeling himself lose whatever inner fight he was still engaged in; and then, finally, after what felt like forever, he took in a shaky breath and started to cry.

  
  


It was the most embarrassing thing that happened to him in this timeline or the previous one. Were it anyone but Haru, Akira knew he’d never have been able to live it down. 

He was supposed to be the leader; he was supposed to be the responsible one, the one who gave his friends strength. He was supposed to take care of them and never falter in anything. 

And now, he was sitting on the ground, curled up, back against the wall, and he was sobbing, trying desperately to stop while Haru knelt beside him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry…” He managed to choke out, after a long moment of just trying to get his throat to unclench so that he could speak. It didn’t help much; he felt the sobs subside for now, but they were still there, threatening to spill over. Beside him, Haru shook her head.

“There is absolutely no need to apologize, Kurusu-kun.” She said firmly. Her hand disappeared, and then returned with a handkerchief. Akira accepted it gratefully, though still refused to look at her. Instead, he felt her sit down next to him, her hand returning to his shoulder - a comforting, warm presence. 

“I… do realize we’re strangers to one another.” She said, after a moment. “But perhaps… if you’d like to talk about what is bothering you, a stranger is whom you need.”

“Everyone keeps telling me to talk about this.” Akira sighed. His voice felt raw and scratchy now, after crying. He wasn’t even sure how long he cried for - wasn’t the break about to end? But Haru didn’t seem to care about that. Her hand squeezed his shoulder gently.

“Perhaps that is because they know it will help…”

Akira scoffed and shook his head, and opened his mouth to protest–

“...my boyfriend broke up with me.” He whispered instead, and sighed, resting his forehead against his knees. There, he said it; and he almost felt like crying again. Scratch that; not even almost. God, he was pathetic; and he had to sound pathetic, too. 

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, screwing his eyes shut. “It sounds idiotic, doesn’t it? I sound like a kid, I–”

“You’re not an adult, Kurusu-kun,” Haru said quietly, interrupting him. “And you really need to stop apologizing for your own feelings. You’re hurting; it’s natural. And you need to let it out, sooner or later.” 

Well, wasn’t she a counsellor. Akira smiled to himself, a forced little upturn of his lips; and then, once more, he felt the words fall even though he tried to hold them back. 

It took a long, long time, and several breaks when tears threatened to spill again. Haru mainly listened, taking in the information one after the other. She tried not to interrupt him, he knew, and Akira was grateful for that. He, too, couldn’t tell her everything; but some was better than none, and after a while, he started feeling better. It was like squeezing venom out of a wound - it hurt, but you kept doing it. And after a while, you started to feel like in the end, maybe this wasn’t the end of everything. Maybe tomorrow will still come. 

“...and I let him go.” He finally mumbled, feeling exhausted enough it was way too difficult to even raise his head and look at her. “I just let him leave. I should have called after him; I should have explained, I should never have let him believe what we had, that it wasn’t…” Akira took a deep breath and curled up more, feeling on the verge of a breakdown again. 

“I love him.” He whispered, in a very small voice. “I love him so much, and now he thinks I just…  _ used him _ , like everyone else always did. And the worst part is, I  _ did  _ lie. I  _ did  _ manipulate him. I only wanted to make everyone happy, but...” 

“...your boyfriend is a very lucky person, do you know that, Akira-kun?” 

Hearing his name spoken in such a voice made Akira look up. There was enough time for his tears to dry up, but his eyes still had to be all red and puffy, he could feel it. Haru was smiling at him, and he saw, for the first time, that she was crying, too. 

“B-but-”

“I wish someone loved me this much.” She said and then shook her head with a burst of embarrassed laughter. “I apologize; this isn’t about me, is it? Akira-kun… you  _ really  _ need to talk to your boyfriend. Assuming other people’s emotions by the words they spoke in anger… this can never end well. You’re only making yourself, and him, suffer more by keeping away.” 

“He said he doesn’t want to see me again,” Akira mumbled, looking away. He gritted his teeth; his fists clenched. “And… why? Why does it have to be me? He was the one who walked away. He was the one who just… assumed, just because there were some things I didn’t tell him, that I had bad intentions. Why do I always need to run after him?” 

“You said yourself you should have–”

“I should have, but he should have stayed and listened, too!” Akira mumbled, closing his eyes. He didn’t understand the emotions that welled in him right now. With how exhausted he was, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to get started on it. 

“Akira-kun…” Haru sighed, and her hand moved away from his shoulder at last. “I’m in no position to convince you, but I stand by what I said. You’re only hurting yourself by keeping away. I should know; actions not taken only end up hurting more in the long run. I, too, have a problem which I can’t bring myself to talk about with those dear to me, for fear that my voice would be disregarded. But… I really should take action myself. I know that. I should talk to my father about…” She hesitated and fell silent; and Akira sniffled quietly, nodding, momentarily forgetting this wasn’t  _ his  _ Haru, and this wasn’t  _ his  _ run.

“About your fiance, right?” He mumbled, staring down at the handkerchief. It was much worse for wear now; he needed to get it washed properly. Beside him, he felt Haru stiffen and realized what he had just said, but before either of them could really react, the door burst open, revealing a panting Ryuuji, with Morgana on his shoulder and Ann hot on their heels. They all rounded up on Akira, running up to him the moment they spotted him.

“Dude, what the  _ hell _ ! What d’you think you’re doing, skipping class out of the blue!”

“You’re lucky Kawakami’s so lenient with you.” Ann scolded him, prodding his chest as Akira still stared, bewildered, at his friends. “She cooked something up about you not feeling well and going home; you gave us such a scare! And then Mishima told us he saw you going to the roof, what were you thinking, you moron?! Do you know how worried we were?!”

“And what was that, leaving me behind?!” Morgana yowled, jumping down onto his lap, with all four sets of claws out. Akira yelped. “Do you know how much trouble lady Ann had to go to, to smuggle me into her bag?! And I smell of perfume now, and that is  _ not  _ a manly scent, Akira! I have a very acute sense of smell, and–”

“...I’m sorry.” Akira managed to mumble, and all three of them quieted down; and then gasped in surprise when Akira stood up, still holding Morgana, and pulled them into a hug. 

“Uh… Um, Akira…?” Ann tried, while Ryuuji flailed in his grip.

“Oi, oi, oi, dude, hey, come on, what’re you–”

“W-wha– you’re squeezing me, you’re squeezing me too tight!” Morgana meowed, trying to wiggle out from between the three of them.

“Thank you,” Akira mumbled, before taking a step back. “For staying with me… for worrying about me… I’m sorry, I… I wasn’t myself these last couple of days. I’m better now. I  _ promise _ . I’ll get better now, so…”

“Man… it’s fine…” Ryuuji muttered, rubbing the back of his head. And then, his eyes slid to the side, to Haru, who was currently pulling herself up to her feet and dusting her sweater off. Ryuuji’s jaw fell to the floor while Ann tilted her head, also noticing the girl. Morgana even climbed onto Akira’s shoulder to have a better view. 

“Um…” Haru smiled somewhat shyly, looking at the trio staring at her. “I think I know who you are, from what Akira-kun just told me, but–”

“You’re Okumura Haru-senpai, aren’t you?” Ann asked, with a hesitant smile. Haru nodded, flushing slightly as Ann looked from her to Akira. “You know each other?”

“No–” Haru started, but Akira’s mouth once again worked too fast for him to control it. 

“Yes.” He said. Ann blinked, and then made an  _ oooooh _ sound, exchanging a look with Ryuuji. 

“...she’s a new old friend?” Ann asked, starting to beam. Akira nodded with a tired, but grateful smile. 

“Dude, more importantly… is she a new old Thief is the question!” Ryuuji chimed in, to Morgana’s yowl of  _ Ryuuji! _ . Haru stared at them, her mouth slightly agape.

“Erm… could someone perhaps explain to me what, um…”

“Can you do it?” Akira sighed, smiling tiredly at his friends. “And… we could go eat something if the school’s finished already. I could probably eat a horse right now.” 

 

* * *

 

A horse, as it turned out, was not on the menu, but a beef bowl was, and Akira was more than happy with it. 

He kept silent for most of the way to the beef bowl shop, carrying and petting Morgana while Ann and Ryuuji tried to explain, the best they could, the case of Akira’s new run to the more and more confused Haru. It took them all through the first helping, with both Haru and Ryuuji ordering the second one, to finally explain everything to her. Akira tried to help with the explanations later on, when it came to telling Haru that, though she never yet set her foot in the Metaverse, she was actually already a part of the famous Phantom Thieves, four of which were sitting here around her. 

For someone who just learnt something like this, Haru took it surprisingly well. She frowned and looked at Akira for a long time; and then, she nodded to herself. 

“Is… that how you knew about my fiance?” She asked simply. Akira nodded, his cheeks filled with rice. He could barely eat these last few days; now, he felt like he couldn’t have enough. 

“Did the Phantom Thieves change his heart the first time?” Haru continued, and Akira expected to feel resistance as he tried to answer; but thankfully, there was none. Perhaps, he thought, now they know I  _ have  _ the information, it’s no longer against the rules to share it… Or maybe it just isn’t important now, when so much has changed. 

“We haven’t, though that’s about to change. I met him, and I really don’t want someone like that to roam the streets with his corrupted heart intact.” Akira said. Haru smiled lightly to herself; though there was sadness to her smile, too.

“What about my father?” She asked quietly; and this time, Akira felt the beginning of his throat clenching again. He sighed. “I can’t tell you all of the story, apparently; but we did venture into his Palace and stole his Treasure.” 

“I see.” Haru nodded, and then pinched the bridge of her nose. “And I have one of these… Persona… too, do I?” 

“You’ll get one, eventually.” Akira nodded. She hummed, closing her eyes for a while. 

“...I have just one request.” She said, after a moment, in a strained voice that betrayed how much she attempted to stay calm. “Can you… take me there? To that…  _ Metaverse _ , so that I can see it for myself? I just… it is rather hard to believe, and…”

“Hey, ‘s fine. You’re doing awesome as it is.” Ryuuji grinned at her over his own bowl and then focused on putting more ginger onto Akira’s remaining rice. “I mean, I still don’t really understand this stuff, so personally speaking, you’re amazing.” He winked at her. “Senpai, eh?” 

Akira watched as Haru, having stared at the blond for a moment, flushed; and really, by now, there was absolutely nothing surprising for him in this. He looked over her head at Ann, and they exchanged a  _ look _ . Ann grinned lightly and gave him a little shrug. Akira cleared his throat. 

“We could take you, though… I didn’t see your awakening the first time, so I don’t know how that…”

“It will be alright,” Ann said, grinning. “Ryuuji will make sure nothing happens to you, won’t you, Ryuuji?” 

“What?” The blond hummed, his cheeks filled with food. Akira felt an urge to hit his face against the counter and laugh at the same time. Ryuuji swallowed everything he had in his mouth in one, mighty gulp and nodded with a little shrug. 

“I mean, sure? We don’t need to go real deep anyway, right? And all the Shadows up close to the surface are weaklings anyway.” 

“That’s decided then!” Ann said, rolling her eyes at him. “Ryuuji’s in charge of protecting Haru. Oh, and we need a codename for you, don’t we?”

“A… a codename?” Haru murmured, playing with her napkin. Akira smiled. 

“I’m Joker,” He said. “Ann’s Panther, Ryuuji’s Skull and Morgana’s Mona.” He nodded at his other friend who - being unable to talk to Haru for now - opted to catch up on some sleep in Akira’s bag. “And you’re Noir, aren’t you?” 

“Noir…” Haru repeated, and then beamed at him. “I love it!”

“I bet you do.” Akira smiled back. “You chose it yourself.” 

 

* * *

 

They went to Mementos - just for a moment, just long enough for what Haru needed to come to terms with the fact that, however unbelievable, Akira’s story was true. They didn’t fight any Shadows; Akira didn’t want to risk it, and anyway, he wasn’t sure if Haru even  _ could  _ awaken outside of her father’s Palace. She had been introduced to Morgana, told what the Mementos really were - and they were out, after solemnly swearing that they will change Sugimura’s heart eventually, though only when Haru would be able to join them. 

It should have felt right; it should have felt  _ better _ , the way Haru beamed at the four of them once they left and went their separate ways. It should have made Akira smile, the way Ryuuji stared after her even after she disappeared from his line of sight, rubbing the back of his neck and seemingly deep in thought. 

And yet, once Haru left and Akira was expected to go back home again and leave his friends, with just Morgana sleeping in his bag again, he felt even worse than before. Sojiro’s worried glance from over Leblanc’s counter didn’t help, either; and Akira drifted mindlessly past the older man, climbed up the stairs and fell onto his bed, hugging his pillow to himself.

Days passed like a dream after that. Akira felt it was hard to differentiate between being asleep and awake. He trudged to school every day and sat in class, barely paying any attention at all. At one point, Kawakami pulled him to the side, asking if everything was alright, and he felt the words  _ I’m fine  _ as if they grew almost too large to speak in his mouth. 

He had taken to watching his phone - certain that someday, soon, any minute now, he’d get a message, a sign,  _ anything _ . But the phone was silent, and with its silence grew the resentment and the feeling of injustice Akira felt. 

At least his friends made it slightly more bearable. Morgana was a constant presence, even more so than before. With every night he spent with his friend’s little body pressed, purring, against his heart, Akira appreciated him more and more. Ann and Ryuuji were always there for him, too, though Akira  _ hated  _ Ann’s insistence he should reach out to Goro and the rest of the team. Slowly, they worked out a kind of careful pace around one another, and it all felt almost normal again.

With Futaba, it was more complicated. She was there every morning before he went to school; they’d eat together, there’d be a stiff attempt at a conversation, and yet they couldn’t bring themselves to really talk. There was always something - Sojiro listening, regulars coming in, Akira running late. Finally, when they  _ did  _ have the right moment to talk, Futaba would attempt to say something; and the words would get stuck in her throat, and she’d shake her head and look away from him.

It wasn’t exactly a comfortable situation, and Akira felt still too exhausted to reach out much by himself. At least he knew that the girl still wanted to be friends with him, that she tried to make their friendship work somehow, and that was enough to comfort him. 

And then, there was Haru. She fell into their little group as if she never left. Ann, Ryuuji and Morgana took to her immediately, and Ryuuji, in particular, seemed suspiciously bent on being helpful with the planters and the heavy bags of soil. Sunday rolled around, and they decided to spend it all together; and Haru, though shy with all four of them at first, seemed to be feeling more and more at ease. By the end of the week, she was gossiping happily with Ann while Ryuuji, Akira and Morgana watched from their assigned planter, sighing wistfully about girls’ camaraderie and such.

Akira had almost forgotten about the Hawaii trip if he had to be completely honest. So much has been happening lately, it was hardly possible to keep a track of it all. And yet, on Monday - and just a day before they were supposed to leave for the trip - it had been brought starkly to his attention.

Haru had to head home right after classes that day, and so there was no reason to stay at school late. Ann and Ryuuji accompanied Akira and Morgana out and towards the train station, and Akira found himself actually being able to smile at them and not feel like running away this time.

They were walking in comfortable silence, and Akira took out his phone to check his messages on pure habit. He had taken off the new, beautiful phone case Goro had given him, of course; it would be too painful to keep looking at their picture, the two of them happy and in love; but even with his old case on, the pain was still there. 

Akira shook his head, trying to dislodge the persistent thoughts. He felt Ann’s hand rest on his shoulder. She was looking at him in confusion, and Akira remembered himself and forced a smile. On his other side, Akira heard Ryuuji bicker with Morgana, but there was no escaping Ann’s keen eyes. 

“I’m okay.” He mumbled, not looking at her. Ann sighed. 

“...he didn’t… contact you, did he?” She asked, in a gentle voice. Akira shook his head.

“Did you try?” Ann persisted, and Akira felt anger bubble in his chest again. He pushed it down; God, he needed to get a grip.

“No. He said he didn’t want to hear from me, didn’t he?” He said, voice sharper than he’d like it to be. Ann sighed and seemed to be preparing to say something more; Akira interrupted her before she could, though. 

“Look… I don’t want to talk about this right now, okay? You told me to give them time, so I am giving them time. And I  _ really  _ don’t need advice on how to deal with this.” 

His voice rose, and Akira stopped speaking, flushing in embarrassment. Ryuuji and Morgana stopped their discussion - something about the superiority of yakiniku over sushi - and looked at him. Akira looked away, rubbing the back of his head.

“I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I’m… trying to get myself together around all this, and…”

“We get it, mate,” Ryuuji said in a surprisingly soft voice. “But… you might want to  _ try  _ and not get angry at  _ us _ ? We got your back, you know.” 

“I know.” Akira nodded again. “I’m sorry.” 

“Nothing to apologize for, dude.” Ryuuji smiled at him and patted his back, and Akira felt a bit better. He smiled back.

“Anyway,” Morgana said, obviously deciding a change of topic was in order. “When are we going to go back to Mementos? The requests are piling up you know, and sooner or later, we’ll need to start training Haru up if she’s supposed to join us for real.”

“Oh…” Akira hummed, rubbing his chin. “See, that’s the problem. I told you, I didn’t see her awakening. I don’t know how it went. I’m a bit scared she’ll get hurt if we just...” 

“We won’t know till we try, eh? And she’s probably really powerful anyway, she’ll be fine.” Ryuuji shrugged, grinning. “Still, it’s so damn cool, how you can tell who’s who and shit, knowing all that future stuff.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Akira sighed. “It’s much less fun than you’d expect. I keep mixing both timelines, and the further along the line, the more confusing it gets.”

“I can only imagine…” Ann hummed. Morgana nodded at it from within Akira’s bag.

“It’s gotta be tough; it’s hard to live in both Metaverse and the normal world on daily basis, but put an additional timeline worth of memories into it, and that’s downright…”

“Yeah, it is.” Akira smiled weakly. Morgana meowed and bumped his head against Akira’s hand.

“Guess that explains all these nightmares you’ve been having.” 

“Oi, dude?” Ryuuji said, nudging Akira’s side.

“Hm?”

“What’ll weather be like tomorrow?” Ryuuji asked. Akira stared at him.

“What?”

“Well, you knowing the future and all…” The blond grinned, and Akira couldn’t help but snort and shake his head. He opened the weather app on his phone, though trying not to be obvious while he glanced at it.

“Sunny, with few clouds overhead.”

“Wicked! You really remember?” Ryuuji stared in awe.

“Nah. Checked online.” Akira laughed back at him, and soon, Ann and Morgana joined him in it. 

They parted on the train station, waving at one another and heading in the direction of their respective homes. Akira felt remnants of a smile still tugging on his lips as he headed towards his platform. He wasn’t exactly looking where he was going; and perhaps that was just as well, because he wasn’t  _ entirely  _ sure what he’d have done if he noticed her there earlier.

Makoto was standing on the platform, looking as if she was waiting for someone;  _ him _ , to be exact. She marched towards Akira the moment she spotted him, and by the time he realized what was happening, she already pulled him behind a pillar and had him backed against the wall. A lot of thoughts ran through Akira’s head as she stared at his friend, not sure how to start a conversation; thankfully, it seemed Makoto wanted to be the first one to speak.

“It’s been a while.” She said, sounding as if she had rehearsed this formula in her head at least a dozen times. Akira stared at her, and Makoto flushed, looking away.

“Is it okay if we talk?” She tried again.

“Of course.” Akira nodded. Makoto took a deep breath and looked up at him again. 

“Akira…” She whispered, and then, the words just seemed to tumble out. “I’m so sorry. I really… I really need to apologize to you. The way we treated you, it was… I should never have left, and afterwards, I shouldn’t have kept quiet. It was just–”

“Makoto, I–” Akira started, feeling weak, but she shook her head and interrupted him.

“No, let me finish. I… I had a talk. With several people, and I actually thought it over, and… I believe you. When you said you couldn’t have told us about all of that, I really… I’m sorry, Akira.” She sighed again. “Honestly, I wanted to go back and apologize the moment I left; but… I felt too proud to do that, I suppose. And then, with every day, it was harder and harder to speak out… I’m so, so sorry.” She looked at him, and Akira had to look away - he felt like he’ll start crying again if he didn’t, and he  _ really  _ wanted to stop being such a crybaby. 

“It’s fine.” He whispered hoarsely instead. “I’m sorry, too. Makoto… I really… I promise I never wanted to…”

“I know.” Makoto nodded, and then, hesitant and blushing up to the roots of her hair, she gave him a hug. It was brief and filled with muffled, sleepy protests from Morgana at being jostled, but it was there, and Akira felt like he could cry again - from happiness this time. 

“And… the rest knows that, too.” She said, once she let him go and cleared her throat awkwardly a few times. “You… didn’t contact Goro by any chance, did you?” 

“...he said he didn’t want to hear from me,” Akira said, stiffly. Makoto sighed, brushing a strand of her had behind her ear and shaking her head.

“Oh, Akira… you two should really…”

“Makoto, I’ll be late for the train.” He said. He heard her sigh again and then felt her hand gently brushing his arm. 

“...okay. I won’t talk you into it, but you  _ know  _ I’m right.” She said, and he couldn’t help but smile. “I only wanted to catch you today, because… well, I’ve been asked to oversee the Hawaii trip, in exchange for some of the teachers staying back. What with all that commotion because of the tabloid article and the investigation…”

“I know.” Akira smiled lightly again, and Makoto blinked at him, before laughing sheepishly. 

“...right. So… we’ll see each other soon?”

“Yeah… and, Makoto?” Akira hesitated; and this time, when he smiled, it was really genuine. 

“Thank you. And… I’m sorry, too. For keeping all this from you.” 

 

* * *

 

On the train ride home, Akira felt as if his mood had just undergone a 180-degree turn. 

Makoto had reached out to him. She apologized; she didn’t even need to hear all the explanation, and she  _ believed him _ . And she said the rest of them were feeling the same. 

For the first time in  _ days _ , Akira allowed himself  _ hope _ . It was shy, like a new plant just peeking from the ground; but it was there, and he felt like a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders. 

Right now, the only thing that could make it even better was if he could finally make some breakthrough with Futaba. She had to have listened in on him that day when he was explaining everything, and he had apologized, hadn't he? And Futaba tried, Akira knew she doing her best. So now, it only needed a bit of  _ his  _ own effort to bridge the gap between another one of his friends...

This was the mindset with which Akira had entered Leblanc - and he visibly deflated the moment he did. 

Apart from Sojiro and a few regulars, it was empty. There was no flash of orange hair by the counter; no careful, wary voice welcoming him home. Morgana peaked out from his bag and looked around, seemingly as surprised as he was.

“Oh…”

Once more, Akira sighed and passed Sojiro on his way upstairs, barely saying hello to the older man. Somehow, he felt all of his energy escape him again. The sudden mood changes alone were exhausting him; he wished he could just rest from them, escape to the roof again and catch some of the calm, peaceful feelings he felt every time he climbed up there.

Akira walked up to the attic and stopped dead in his tracks, staring.

Futaba was there, sitting cross-legged with her laptop open; but she looked up when she saw him. And then, before Akira could as much as stutter out a word, she snapped the laptop shut and stood up.

“Stop right there.” She said, in a commanding voice. Akira blinked and obeyed, watching as she took a deep breath and broke into a run towards him.

Her slim body hit against his with a thump; and Akira was wheezing for air the next moment, seeing as Futaba headbutted him in his solar plexus. But, even more so than the feeling of oxygen being squeezed out of his lungs, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of sheer  _ relief. _

Futaba seemed to be counting to three under her breath; and then she let go of him, taking a few steps back and breathing heavily, gasping as if she had just ran a marathon.

“T-there!” She said. “You’ve been hugged!”

Akira stared at her; and then, he bit his lip, trying not to cry all over again. God, he  _ needed to  _ get a grip... But… For Futaba to hug him... Akira knew, perhaps better than anyone, how much this took from her. 

“Futaba…”

“I heard you explain.” Futaba shook her head and walked closer again, though this time, it was to crouch beside Morgana and rub his cheeks, much to the cat’s protest. “It was what Morgana wanted to happen, didn’t you, Mona? Let him do the explaining downstairs, so I’d hear everything…” She sighed, and then looked up at Akira.

“I’m sorry.” She said, quietly. “Knowing you’ve been here, knowing how much I hurt… it wasn’t great, y’know? But Mona’s right… I know how difficult my Palace was for you guys, and anyway, what were you supposed to do? Barge into my room on day one? And…”

“I need to apologize, too,” Akira said quietly, crouching beside her. “I maybe couldn’t have done anything to your Palace, but… I could have done  _ something _ . If only not to let you feel so alone. I was so scared, Futaba… but I shouldn’t have, should I? You were much more important than anything else.” 

“‘s fine,” Futaba mumbled, punching him lightly in the arm. “If you’re okay with me acting kinda shitty towards you, then I’m fine with you taking your sweet-ass time.” 

“So we’re still friends?” Akira smiled. She grinned up at him. 

“You bet! And, uh…” She hesitated and then cleared her throat. “...about Goro. He… he got really hurt, you know? But… if you explained things to him, I’m sure he’d…”

“...I don’t know if he’d listen.” Akira said quietly, shaking his head. Futaba looked up at him and shrugged. 

“Well he’s not going to listen to anything if you won’t say anything either, will he?” 

“...I suppose.” Akira mumbled. The girl nodded and got up on her feet. 

“Talk to him, okay? And… I need to find the others and apologize. Methinks, a text message won’t quite cut it, huh. Especially to Ryuuji… I shouldn’t have said these mean things to him.” Futaba mumbled, looking down at her feet. Akira smiled at her softly. 

“It’s going to be okay.” He said. “He probably won’t even know what are you talking about when you apologize.” 

“Probably.” She grinned nervously. “So, promise you’ll talk to the others?”

“I… after I’m back, alright?” Akira said, feeling wretched. “Hawaii trip is just ahead, and…”

“Coward.” Futaba huffed, but in the end, she shook her head and her expression softened. “But… okay. Welp, I’m the last person who should be giving advice on breaking out of your comfort zone, so it happens. Just… don’t take a lot of time, okie-dokie?”

“Okie-dokie.” Akira smiled and patted her head. 

Futaba beamed at him; and for the second time that day, Akira felt like a bit of his heart - just a tiny bit - that had broken off now returned to its rightful place. 

“After the Hawaii trip, we’ll all talk and make up.” He said, conviction in his voice. “Promise.” 

 


	47. Spilling Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the trip to Hawaii, Akira is preparing to celebrate his birthday; and emotions are spilling over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would not have happened if not for Curos. Thank you so, so much ;;

Makoto and Futaba came back.

Akira laid in his bed, Morgana’s small, purring body curled up on his stomach, and stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep - in his mind, the events of the day replayed in a continuous loop, the words of his two friends banging around in his head.

He should be feeling happy, he knew; and he was, in a way. Having Makoto and Futaba come around felt wonderful. It gave Akira hope, let him know that it wasn’t all his fault, that his friends really _did_ care about him.

But the happiness felt strangely hollow in his chest. He felt guilty. He should’ve been happier, he should have _shown_ how much it meant to him. And yet, no matter how much he tried, he _couldn’t_ . The relief he felt to have Futaba and Makoto back was stained with the thought that, no matter how good _that_ felt, the one person he wanted back more than anything else in the world remained silent.

It made Akira angry, to be entirely honest. Makoto had told him that the others knew he didn’t have bad intentions. She seemed convinced they will follow her example, and soon. And why wouldn’t they? If Makoto could swallow her pride and apologize, why couldn’t Goro and Yusuke? And why was it so hard, after all the chances Akira gave him, for Goro to pay him back with just a little bit of trust?

It was almost ironic, how the detective caused Akira’s bonds with his friends to loosen, and now he was the reason they kept away from Akira. It was hard not to feel resentment. Was it not for Goro, Yusuke would have come back, too; was it not for Goro…

Akira closed his eyes and turned carefully to the side, tipping Morgana’s sleeping form onto the bed beside him. He curled up a bit on the bed, trying to stop the guilt that threatened to spill over from his heart. What was he _thinking_..?

 _‘It’s the truth, though’_ , a quiet, treacherous voice in his head whispered, no matter how much Akira tried not to listen to it. _‘Was it not for Goro, all of this wouldn’t have happened… Was it not for him, all of you would have still been friends…’_

 

* * *

 

Hawaii was fun.

Akira truly didn’t expect it to be.

He was going on the trip with mixed feelings. On one hand, with Futaba and Makoto there again, the day leading up to the trip was leagues better than the ones beforehand. With the Phantom Thieves chatting, laughing together and teasing one another about swimsuits and beaches and plans for the trip, it was hard not to enjoy it. As for the trip itself, it promised to be at least nicer than last year, especially with Akira’s future knowledge. He had warned Mishima repeatedly against drinking tap water and appealed to Kawakami to let him and Ryuuji bunk together. Ann and Shiho had grabbed a room just for themselves and Makoto rejoiced at the knowledge that Hifumi was in fact not going to Los Angeles, but was going to join them in Hawaii. Haru even managed to fluster Makoto by promising to take a room with her, so that she could clear out and Hifumi could come over.

Leaving Morgana behind was the difficult part. Over the last few days, the cat had become something of an anchor for Akira; the one thing holding him steadily grounded in reality. Even after Futaba’s and Sojiro’s promise that they will look after him, Akira felt ill at ease saying goodbye. It took Futaba sending him a barrage of cute selfies with Morgana once he left that made Akira at least smile on his way to the airport.

And then it was the plane ride, the transfer to the hotel, and settling in. Hifumi walked up to them at the hotel, slipping her hand into Makoto’s, much to the latter girl’s fluster, but there was no sight of Yusuke - and that made Akira worry. Oh, he tried to play it down; pretended he believed Hifumi’s explanation that Yusuke decided against going to Los Angeles because he had caught a bad cold at an unfortunate time. Deep down, Akira knew the real reason was Yusuke simply not wanting to leave Goro alone, and felt an irrationally strong annoyance when he thought about it.

In every other regard, the trip was wonderful. Akira couldn’t decide which part was the best. There was Haru joining him, Ryuuji and Mishima in what Mishima insisted was _babe hunt_ and ending up the only one to have gotten phone numbers from girls. There was all of the Thieves, together with Shiho and Hifumi, spending an evening at the beach together and having a shrimp-eating competition that ended in a draw between Haru and Ryuuji. There was laughing with his friends, listening to Ryuuji talk about Haru through half the night, _enjoying_ themselves on this little escape from everything that hurt and everything that had made life complicated…

Only seeing Ann and Shiho, so in love, walking together down the beach made Akira frustratingly sad. Oh, he was happy for them; it was hard not to smile, watching the way they looked at one another. And yet, Akira couldn’t help but be jealous. It was so easy to imagine how all of it would look if only Goro was here with him, and if only the world was normal again…

And then, there were other thoughts - thoughts he tried to beat down, thoughts he felt guilty even for entertaining. Thoughts like, ‘ _it’s better like this’_ ; like ‘ _at least without him here, I have everyone else to myself.’_

Thoughts like… ‘ _It’s better without Goro here to take my place_.’

All in all, the time of their departure came too soon for all of them; and the plane ride back passed so quickly Akira felt dizzy. And with every step towards Leblanc, he felt worse.

He had promised Futaba; he had promised that the moment he landed after the trip, he would contact Goro and they would talk and make amends. Only…

Akira pushed open the door to Leblanc and the corners of his lips turned up when three smiling faces welcomed him in. Sojiro waved from behind the counter, Morgana ran up to him, demanding souvenirs, and Futaba grinned from the spot she was perched on. Akira could hardly help it; he grinned back, fighting through the jet-lag that made him so incredibly sleepy and bent down to open his suitcase, pulling out the souvenirs he got them.

He will call tomorrow, he decided. No one could expect him to do that _tonight_.

 

* * *

 

 **Milady:** Akira-kun, I have a question for you!

 **Milord:**?

 **Milady:** Your birthday is coming up soon, is that correct?

 **Milord:** oh, yeah

 **Milord:** I’m not doing anything though

 **Milady:** Would you mind if I organized a small party for you on that day, in the evening? I feel like you might need a distraction.

 **Milady:** I would of course enlist the help of our friends. And I would take care of inquiring for your guardian’s permission.

 **Milord:** you should get Ryuuji to help you

 **Milord:** he’s good at carrying heavy stuff and other things

 **Milady:** Perhaps I will.

 **Milady:** :)

 

* * *

 

 **Inkling:** yo so I just got a

 **Inkling:** vaguely threatening invitation for ur bday

 **Floofhead:** vaguely threatening?

 **Inkling:** yea apparently this girl called Haru Okumura will personally skin anyone who won’t come

 **Inkling:** tee-hee~

 **Floofhead:**...see this is what she might have actually written are you just joking or are u serious

 **Inkling:** nah but close

 **Inkling:** anyway

 **Inkling:** did you message Goro? like we promised?

 **Floofhead:** I was jetlagged like hell yesterday Futaba

 **Inkling:** yea but you’re not now

 **Inkling:** message him

 **Inkling:** make sure he’ll come too

 **Floofhead:** I will

 

* * *

 

And… in the end, well... he didn’t.

Akira was busy. He really, truly was. There was so much to do - he was needed with so many of his Confidants he had been until now neglecting. And Confidants took time; after a long session with Chihaya, an evening spent helping Iwai with his guns and his other things, too, or standing beside Yoshida and trying his best not to look at the crowd, lest he found someone familiar there - he was tired. And to call Goro and talk he’d need time, a clear head…

Futaba was the worst with this. She positively dogged him about at least sending Goro a message, showing just a bit of good will; and every time, he promised he would. Akira never lied; he really was going to do it.

Just…just not yet.

It wasn’t like he didn’t have a good reason to stop himself from reaching out, either. They came back from Hawaii rested and energized, but it wasn’t just smiles and demands for souvenirs that welcomed them there. The chants for the Phantom Thieves to take care of all that’s bad in the world weren’t as pronounced as they were the first time, not after the death of the IT guy, but they were still there. Haru had the worst of it; with the rumours about her father, and her stupid fiance coming onto her more and more forcefully, Akira felt like she needed the birthday party as much as he did. And then there was the other thing. The news about the headmaster’s sudden death shocked everyone; Akira most of all. They had gathered together to discuss them, right on the first day since they found out; and Akira confessed to what he knew. The first time this had happened, it was Goro’s doing - at least to his knowledge.

They believed him - more or less. None of them believed Goro could do it again, and Akira didn’t, either, but…

Well, _but_ . If not Goro, then _who_ …?

Thursday came, and by the time it did, it felt like _ages_ had passed, and not just a few days. Akira smiled when Morgana woke him up with a cat-voiced rendition of _Happy Birthday_ and smiled yet more when he came downstairs to find Sojiro and Futaba there, sitting over a muffin with a single candle in it. He had to stop himself from grinning wildly all the way to school.

The day promised to be a good one: with Ann and Shiho hugging him and wishing him a happy birthday, with Ryuuji and Mishima cornering him so that they could wish him all the best; with Makoto, finding him just to promise she’ll be at Leblanc on time, and Haru, who hugged him and spoke excitedly about the birthday party until they both had almost run late to their respective classes again.

And yet, the closer it got to the hour the party was supposed to start at, the more nervous Akira felt. He had figured out - from little bits and pieces of information some of them, including Haru, had let slip, that Goro _had been_ invited. Will he show up, though? Did Akira _want him_ to?

Well, at least this answer was still perfectly clear. Even just thinking it made a terrible longing open up all over again in Akira’s heart. Wouldn’t it be perfect, if Goro came here, right on his birthday; came and apologized and they could stop this idiocy and just be _together_?

But what if he _doesn’t_ come, then? Akira kept asking this of himself, again and again, throughout the surprisingly long day at school and then through a surprisingly slow, dragging way back home. He didn’t want to think it; he really didn’t, but the thought was there, eating at his heart like a worm.

 _‘And if he doesn’t come,’_ it said, _‘then that means I really don’t mean anything to him anymore.’_

 

* * *

 

Leblanc has been transformed - somewhat - for Akira’s birthday.

Sojiro had closed up early, with only a minimal grumble. He only stayed long enough to give Akira, Futaba and Morgana a stern talking-to about making a ruckus and staying up late on a school day. Akira got his hair ruffled, and that was it, and he was left to receive another headbutt-hug from Futaba and marvel at how nice the cafe looked.

The coffee machines were ready to work, and Akira gladly donned his apron; apart from them, there was a whole pot of curry, rice, sandwiches and fruit and soft drinks Haru took the care to organize. There were balloons littering the corners of the cafe, and even a small transparent one with a _Happy Birthday!_ printed on it.

And then, there was the cake. Akira almost teared up when he looked at it. It was simple, with a not-bad attempt at his Joker mask drawn in the middle, surrounded by all the others’ masks, and with another _happy birthday!_ written on it in silver icing. The message couldn’t be clearer.

 _We’re all here for you_.

The ugly voice inside Akira’s head supplied that, well. Two of the masks present ought to be taken off. Akira told it to shut up.

One after the another, the Phantom Thieves started to arrive. Haru was the first one; then Ryuuji, Ann and finally Makoto, apologizing for being late. There were hugs and gifts and more wishes; Morgana was almost squeezed to death in between Akira and Ann, though he didn’t seem to be complaining. And yet, even after Makoto gave Akira her gift, which he carefully put onto the table in one of the booths, together with the others, all of them continued to glance at the door.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence; and just as Ann prepared to break it, the door opened again, and the bell rang merrily to announce the newcomer.

Akira hated himself for how disappointed he felt.

For just a moment; just the split second needed to open the door, he expected Goro to come inside, just as he imagined he would. But the person coming in wasn’t Goro; it was Yusuke. Dressed in a slightly more elevated version of his usual clothes, with a wrapped gift under his arm and a somewhat sheepish smile. Akira looked at him, grey eyes meeting another set of grey; and yet he couldn’t find any happiness in himself now that the door had closed, and there was no one following the artist.

The ugly, persistent voice in the depths of Akira’s soul rose up again, with deep, dark satisfaction.

‘ _Everyone’s back. Everyone’s here now, and everything is alright again_.’

The Phantom Thieves fell silent around them. They were looking from Akira to Yusuke, who stepped inside, clearing his throat.

“Akira… I wanted to–”

“Well.” Akira heard himself say, in a voice that felt as if it belonged to a stranger. “At least one of you showed up.”

It was as if the world froze around them. Yusuke stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing; from around himself, Akira heard gasps and anxious movement. But his eyes were still locked with Yusuke’s, and so Akira could _see_ the moment something broke in the artist. The next time Yusuke spoke, it was in a voice as icy as Goemon’s magic.

“ _At least one of us?_ ” He said. “Perhaps if this is your welcome, you don’t deserve neither one of us to _show up._ ”

The words stung, like a whip; and if Akira had spoken without thinking and without even _meaning_ to sound the way he did, now he felt anger only hurt could bring out. Around them, the other Thieves shuffled, standing up, trying to calm the two of them down.

“Oi, guys, that’s…” Ryuuji started but was cut off when Akira shook his head.

“ _I_ don’t deserve you showing me, oh I don’t know, basic human decency? _I_ wasn’t the one who ran off! You didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself!”

“Guys, stop that…” Morgana meowed, jumping in between them. Akira pushed him away with his foot, coming closer. He saw how Yusuke’s fists clenched.

“Oh, forgive me for needing time to come to terms with what you’ve told us! I was not aware it was alright to lie and manipulate all your friends and then shut them off completely!” Yusuke’s sarcasm could cut steel, and Akira’s hands clenched as well.

“You have _no idea_ how much it hurt, do you?” He hissed quietly. “You have no idea. All I wanted was to make you happy, all of you! Do you know how _hard_ it is, to live in two different–”

“It’s _you_ who has no idea! You _dare_ talk about how much it hurt, and how bad we should feel for you,  and yet the moment I try to show some good will, you just…” Yusuke stopped for a moment; there seemed to be too many words on his mind to speak all of them out at once.

“You don’t have a _clue_ how much it hurt, me and Goro.” He finally said, in a voice he barely-controlled anymore. “And you’re standing here, wrapped in your self-righteousness as if you’re some god, allowed to play with us just because of what you know–”

“If Goro’s so hurt, then maybe he should have reached out to _me_ for one damn time in his life!”

“Akira, Yusuke, stop it–” Makoto tried, but Akira didn’t even listen. He was shaking; in all his life, he’s never felt this angry.

“You’ve promised me!” Yusuke hissed at him. “ _You’ve promised you wouldn't hurt him_ –”

“I’ve promised something to a friend I had, once! But since said friend couldn’t be bothered to stay by my side and at least give me a _chance_ , and preferred to go with an actual _killer,_ then no, I don’t think I’m bound by any promise here! It’s me who’s got hurt, Yusuke, you’ve no–”

“Akira!” Ann hissed. Yusuke grew very pale.

“Don’t you _dare_ talk about _hurt_ , Akira.” Yusuke had never raised his voice, not in all the time Akira had known him; and the yell before was _awful_ to hear. But still, somehow, it was preferable to this cold, raw voice he was speaking in _now_ . “You’ve got hurt seeing us leave? Well, I apologize for that. But you didn’t see how much it destroyed Goro, to have the one person he trusted reveal something like that, did you? You’re not the one who has to wake up to hear him cry on the other side of the wall! You’re not the one who needs to watch him try to be brave, because he thinks _you’re_ the one needing comfort! You’re not the one seeing someone who has given you their everything, who _saved you_ , crumble to dust because of someone you’ve considered a friend!”

Akira felt as if he has been stabbed; the words turning painfully in his wounds; and it was the pain that made him go on.

“No one forced him to trust me.” He heard himself say. “Goro could just continue doing his dirty work, all alone, unloved and unwanted, and destroy himself while at it! Because that’s what’d have happened if not for me, and you know what? Sometimes I _wish_ it did! If I didn’t reach out in the first place and just left him like that, at least I’d have my friends back and not–”

Akira was not expecting the slap; and if he _would_ expect to be hit, it would have been from Yusuke. But now, he and Yusuke stared down at Haru in shock. None of them noticed how did she get in between them, and Akira touched his cheek as if he couldn’t believe she had slapped him. But perhaps worse than being hit was the realization what he had done, and what he had just said. Haru lowered her hand and gave him a look that made Akira want to hide away and never come back.

“And you are…?” Yusuke mumbled, obviously as much in shock as Akira was. He stared down at Haru, who twirled around and looked up defiantly at him.

“I’m going to deal with _you_ later,” She said, before turning to Akira again. Everyone was looking at him; staring, in sheer disbelief. Akira barely noticed it. His mind was blank, his cheek burning, but he hardly even felt the pain anymore. The shock his own words caused made him feel as if he shut down completely. Some part of his mind tried to convince him he couldn’t have said something like that out loud. But the words were out, and have been heard, and no power in the world could take them back.

He had never felt this bad in his life.

“...what the hell, dude…” Ryuuji whispered, and Akira felt as if someone had shaken him awake. What the hell, indeed… what the hell? What was he saying? What was he _doing_? Akira looked up, into Yusuke’s wide eyes.

“...I’m sorry.” He whispered, feeling his own eyes water up, though he angrily blinked the tears away. “God, Yusuke, I’m– I didn’t mean it… I don’t… I wasn’t…”

He looked around their tense, unsure faces. Akira shook his head, taking a step back.

Was it… really what he thought? Was this really his own feelings, spilling over in a moment of anger? They couldn’t be, could they? He didn’t want Goro gone; god, no, everything he did was just to _save him_ , just to _keep him_ here.

So then… why did he take so long? And the excuses he gave himself, why was he so eager to believe every single one…? Why was he so eager to lose the one person he tried to _stop_ himself from losing? Why did he not see that the rift he so stubbornly refused to bridge was just as final between the two of them as the metal curtain had been in the first timeline?

Akira’s hand reached up; it was a habit, the need to reassure himself that made him do so. He still had his necklace, and Goro had his; as long as they had each other, they wouldn’t have _truly_ broken up, would they..?

But all Akira’s fingertips touched was his bare skin. There was no necklace; no _nothing_. Wildly, his memories ran back to the day of the argument; he had thrown the necklace aside, a burning reminder of his hurt, but now…

“I’m sorry.” He whispered again, backing away towards the stairs to his attic. He needed to find it; he _had to_. Without it…

 _‘Careful now.’_ His own words rang out in his head. _‘I’d be mad if you lost it.’_

_‘Oh? Would you break up with me?’_

Akira ran up.

 

* * *

 

It was nowhere to be found.

Akira tore through his belongings, trying to bite back tears that threatened to spill over. He tried to be fast; downstairs, he could hear the other Thieves talking, and then, after a moment, a tense silence. He wasn’t really paying attention. Everything was crumbling down around him, and it was all his own damn fault.

Not by the bed; not on the workbench. Akira turned to the boxes with his belongings, throwing their contents onto the floor in his search. He _needed_ to find it; somehow, somewhere, it felt like if only he found the necklace, everything else he had lost would magically come back.

What was he thinking? He tried so hard to save everyone, make everything right; but then he ended up being his own worst enemy. First, jealousy he felt of a future he couldn’t come back to made him pull away from the present he was living in. Then, he tried to cling to his role as the one knowing the future so hard he jumped onto the excuse of being unable to talk about things to come straight-forwardly and never tried to since. And when his friends found out about this and left, hurt and shocked, he made _them_ come back to him; he made _them_ do all the work, again and again.

All Yusuke wanted to do was make things better again. All Goro wanted to do was to feel that, for once in his life, he was _wrong_ thinking someone only wanted to manipulate and use him. What did Akira have to lose? Why did he cling onto his stupid pride, knowing full well that if _he_ was hurting, Goro had to hurt just as much, if not more? What kind of boyfriend was he, what kind of a friend?

And now…

The last box fell, empty, from Akira’s hands; and the raven sank down to the floor beside it, hiding his face in his hands. Downstairs, he heard the bell jingle again; he heard some words being spoken and then silence again and knew, just _knew_ that it was all over. Pride didn’t matter anymore; he’d have ran to Goro in a heartbeat if he had a chance now; he’d have apologized to all of them and made it better, but how could he? He’d lost his necklace, and all of his friends heard how downright _ugly_ his thoughts recently were.

And now, they were leaving, and he was all alone. A sob escaped his lips, broken and desperate, and then Akira heard another sound.

The sound of someone running; steps thundering up the stairs. Before he could even look up, Akira felt warm, strong arms wrap around him; felt his nose fill with a scent that was sweet and familiar and above all, a scent that meant _home_.

“Akira… Shhhhh, shhh, I’ve got you.” Goro whispered, pulling him close against himself. “Akira, I’m so sorry, I’m...”

The detective continued to speak, but Akira wasn’t paying attention anymore. His hands tangled in the soft material of Goro’s shirt, his face hid in the crook of his neck. Akira didn’t understand; he had no idea what was happening, but right now, right at this moment, Akira didn’t care. All that was important right now was...

“You’ve come for me.” He mumbled, his voice still shaky with barely-contained sobs. He heard Goro take in a sharp, shuddering breath; felt him pull him closer against his chest.

“I’m sorry…” Goro whispered against his ear. “I’m awfully late.”


	48. Kintsugi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Goro try to mend what has been broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Kintsugi - the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise._
> 
>  
> 
> The credit for naming this chapter goes to Bloo <3

Leblanc’s attic was always dark; shadows hiding in every corner even during the day. Right now, its darkness felt cosy and safe, wrapping around two figures kneeling in the middle of it like a blanket.

Akira cried.

In the silence of Leblanc's attic, his sobs sounded thrice as loud as they usually would. They raked through Akira’s chest, made him gasp for breath and cling, always cling, to his one anchor, one lifeline connecting him with reality right now.

He had never let himself go this completely. Not on the rooftop, with Haru, though he had been close. But this – this breakdown, this fall beyond the reach of even the strongest of wills – this was a first. It was not just about what had happened. It wasn’t just a teenage boy crying after a lover he thought he’d lost, or over friends he thought were leaving him for good. This was all the stress, all the pain and responsibility, much too great for him, which he has been forced to deal with all alone for so long.

What would happen, were he truly left all to himself, in his lowest moment? Akira’s mind was too tired to wonder, too focused on finally allowing his emotions to surge out, letting all his fear, anxiety and pain go. Right now, with Goro’s arms wrapped around him, holding him so tight he thought he might bruise, Akira didn’t feel like he needed to worry about it. In his most vulnerable, weakest moment, he felt  _ safe _ ; finally at home.

“ _ You’ve come for me _ .”

The repeated words escaped him somewhere between his sobs, and Akira felt another surge of relief when Goro’s arms tightened around him even more; warm, real,  _ alive _ . Nothing mattered; only him, only the fact that Goro had come running to him, was comforting nim , was there for him. The last few days suddenly felt like a dream; just a bit of gauze,  blown away with ease by a gust of wind. All that he cared about was Goro, and it felt  _ right _ . He didn’t need to care about anything else right now. This was enough.

“Of course I did.” He heard Goro say in a broken, choked-up voice. “I’m sorry…”

“You’re so late…”

“I know,” Goro whispered, and tried to pull away; though Akira clung to him, unwilling to let go. It felt almost too perfect; Goro running to his rescue in his lowest moment, and Akira felt scared it will somehow all disappear the moment he lets go. He felt his lover settle once more into their hug, felt his breath against the side of his head and closed his eyes.

“I wanted to come back to you the moment I left,” Goro said after a moment. He was crying, too, Akira realized. The knowledge he did – that they shared the vulnerability of this – made him smile a rather weak little smile amidst his own sobs.

“Why didn’t you?”

“Oh… Many reasons.” Goro sighed, pulling him closer still. “Chief among them, I was angry, and hurt, and just so overwhelmed… It was hard to know you’ve known everything about me, from the start, and yet let me believe I could be forgiven, just like that. It was difficult to know you could have manipulated me into being with you, just to make your task easier—”

“I’d never—”

“ _ I know _ ,” Goro whispered, and his hands curled up in Akira’s shirt. “I know, Akira. I know that now. I feel wretched for ever even thinking you’d… Ah, but there you have it. So at first… it was just hurt, and anger. Then… I can’t really be sure. I felt like I was in the right; after days spent in such a dark place, I felt like I wanted  _ you  _ to come apologizing. But there was only silence, and my damn pride didn’t let me be the one to reach out. Then, there was Yusuke, Futaba and Makoto. Each of them got hurt in their own way, and not having you, they came to me for help and comfort. And after each time I talked with them, it felt like I pulled even more pain onto myself, and it was all directed at you. All that pain, all that anger… Everything hurt, everything reminded me of you. How could I sleep in the bed I shared with you, how could I hide out in my apartment when you were embedded into every corner of it? It hurt to even wake up every morning, so I threw myself into work, into investigations and into Phantom Thievery, until it felt like I didn’t have time to sleep at all and hence didn’t need to wake up. And somehow… this spiralled out of control. By the end, I deluded myself into thinking I could go on like this – return to the loneliness I never even knew I felt. But…”

“But you did come back,” Akira said, turning his head a bit so that his ear was pressed against Goro’s chest. The strong, steady beat of his heart felt warm and reassuring against his ear. He closed his eyes again, and his own arms tightened their hold around the detective.

“I’d gotten the invitation from your new friend. At first, I didn’t want to go, but… Well, someone had finally knocked some sense into me before I could make yet another mistake. I even got a bump on the head.” Goro laughed weakly, and Akira replied with a tired smile of his own.

“Ryuuji?”

“Hm..? No… I talked to Sae-san. She noticed something wasn't right, since she was not used to seeing me at work this often, not when I have all the other things to busy myself with… and apparently, I wasn’t looking my best, either. After hearing a rather edited version of the story, she was quick to point out that I was acting like a… ah, now what was it? I think  _ a stubborn brat that is the perfect example of why one should never trouble themselves with men _ was the expression she used.”

Akira had to bite his lip not to giggle out loud. It wasn’t even that funny, but right now, he’d probably laugh at anything. He felt Goro chuckle quietly as well.

“And she hit you over the head?”

“Smacked, more like. She was carrying a rather extensive collection of documents at the time. I could have chosen my timing a little better, I admit.”

“And that made you come back…? But you were still late…”

For a long moment, Goro was silent; and Akira had a feeling that it wasn’t the tense, awkward silence of hurt and tears. He had stopped crying, somewhere in between Goro’s explanation. Right now, he only felt warm and safe and tired, and wasn’t in a hurry to feel any other way.

No, this was… another kind of silence. With a welcome surprise, Akira realized Goro was  _ embarrassed _ .

“…what is it, Goro?”

“You’ll think I’m an idiot.”

“Tell me something new.” Akira managed to say, and heard Goro snort; and then felt his face bury in his hair.

“I wanted to buy you flowers.”

This time, it was Akira’s turn to be speechless. He felt Goro tense up and could have bet anything the detective’s ears were completely red. Finally, Goro started to speak again.

“It’s silly, isn’t it…? I had a gift for you prepared for ages… but it felt so not enough. What I was going to do, march into Leblanc and act as if everything was alright? I wanted to give you something more… to show I cared, I don’t even know. So I stood in front of Rafflesia and tried to think which kind of flower would fit the occasion… In the end, I didn’t even buy anything. Futaba texted me, asking where the hell was I, and I just… ran. I didn’t mean to be late.”

For another moment, there was only silence covering them with its warm, thick blanket. Akira felt like he might fall asleep like this. But he couldn’t; not just now.

“…why did you ransack your room like that, Akira? Why were you crying?”

The words were hard to say; hard to push through his clenched throat. Some of the irrational fear and panic he felt just now, the feeling it was all over, returned; but once again, Goro was here, anchoring him in reality.

“I… I lost our necklace…”

Akira almost started to cry again. A part of him – an irrational, driven by anxiety part – believed Goro will push him away and leave now, knowing that. But he didn’t; if anything, Akira felt a little breath of relief escape the detective.

“…because of  _ that _ ..?” He heard him whisper, and then Goro was pulling away, and Akira didn’t want him to, but couldn’t stop him in time…

The fingers that cupped his cheeks were covered in gloves; the crimson eyes he adored more than anything in the world were red and puffy from crying and had dark, deep shadows under them – a testimony of too many sleepless nights and too much hard work. But it was Goro, and he looked at him with such affection Akira really became afraid this all might not be real after all.

“I’ll help you look for it,” Goro said, brushing a few stray tears away from Akira’s cheeks. “If you let me… We’ll look until we find it, together. And if we don’t, for some reason, if you  _ want  _ me to… I’ll get you a new one. You only need to tell me.”

“…you’re not mad?” Akira choked out, and Goro let out a little breath of disbelief.

“As if I could, for something like this.” He whispered, hugging him again. When it was the time for them to part from this one, though, Akira grabbed onto Goro’s shirt and held him close. He had just one last fear left, and again, it was hard to even say it out loud, for fear it might come true if he does.

“Y-you’re really here, right?”

“I’m here,” Goro said, covering his hands with his own and squeezing them tightly. “And so are all the others. And if you can forgive me… I’d like to never go away, ever again.”

“I think we might have the same idea here.” Akira managed to whisper and heard another one of Goro’s little, weak chuckles.

“Come now, Akira. We need to go downstairs. Everyone is waiting for us. We have made you have a rather miserable birthday… well, I did, chiefly… but perhaps we can still salvage it a bit.”

And again, Akira’s hands held him in place, stopping him from leaving. Goro looked at him, and Akira wanted to hide from his look. He felt silly, but…

“Is it bad that I don’t want to?” He whispered, looking away. “I’m just… tired. All I want is to stay like this and not… confront anyone anymore. I’m not sure if I can take it.”

“…let me talk to them first, then,” Goro said after a while, pulling out a pack of tissues and gently taking Akira’s glasses off, wiping them for him. He smiled when he put them back on, and Akira’s eyes met his once more.

“It’ll be okay. I promise. Just give me a minute and follow downstairs after me, alright?”

And with that, once he got Akira to nod shakily, Goro stood up and walked slowly down the stairs. Akira could see a flash of blue eyes and black-and-white fur in between the railings; Morgana was obviously watching them just now. For some reason, it made the raven even more embarrassed than he was before, but he tried his best to shake the feeling off. He took a deep breath, wiped his face and tried to get a grip – and then followed downstairs, back to his interrupted birthday party.

He didn’t want to stay up there, all alone. Anything would be better than  _ that _ .

 

* * *

 

Goro was still here when he walked downstairs, and this alone made Akira feel slightly more sure of himself.

It still all felt like a dream. He broke down so completely, now he felt so exhausted he could hardly differentiate between what was real and what was not anymore, and Goro’s presence beside him still felt unreal – too good to be true. Akira needed him by his side, then. Needed their shoulders bumping, needed Goro’s tired eyes to look and smile at him, needed to hear his voice.

The rest of the Thieves were still present at Leblanc, too; they were watching as Akira neared, all of them seated in the booth. Yusuke was in the furthest corner, looking… well, exactly like someone who had just been subjected to some proper lecturing by all of his friends. For a few moments, there was a tense silence; and then, Ryuuji stood up, stretched and marched towards the counter, where the food was still dished out.

“Welp, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving in here.”

It became easier, after that. It wasn’t perhaps the kind of party Akira dreamed of having for his birthday, but it was perfectly alright with him. The Phantom Thieves agreed that tonight – and just tonight – they all needed a break, from everything. That tomorrow will be the time to talk and argue and apologize. That for now, all they had on the schedule was celebrating one of their own, no matter how grim the situation felt and how much pretending it cost them to do so.

And Akira was incredibly grateful they just went with it.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly perfect. It was awkward, for one. The tension didn’t disappear just because they agreed not to touch onto certain topics. The atmosphere reminded Akira of sneaking through a Palace. Careful steps and dashes from one safe spot to the other; feeling their way around, until they could finally stand up straight and move freely.

And it happened, too - they all breathed a little easier, talked with a little less forced politeness as the time went by. Ryuuji and Futaba dashed back to Sojiro’s house to bring in Futaba’s console, and soon them, Ann, Haru and Morgana started to karaoke, though Morgana got upset about his singing being recorded by the program as nothing but meows. The Phantom Thieves all agreed it was an improvement anyhow, though no one dared say it out loud.

Yusuke was still distant, but he at least made an effort to smile and wish Akira happy birthday with everyone else, and Akira appreciated that. Yes, it wasn’t all perfect – but it was certainly preferable to how his recent days were. Like this, he could at least relax somewhat, safe in the knowledge that today was the first step to finally making everything right again.

And then there was Goro. Throughout the evening, neither of them could leave the other’s side. Akira felt something almost akin to panic every time Goro escaped his view. Whether he was behind the counter preparing coffee, giving the karaoke set a go or cutting his cake, he couldn’t help but look up every few seconds, just to check Goro was still there. And though he  _ did  _ have fun on his birthday, he really did, Akira felt best – safest – sitting in the booth with Goro, their sides pressed close to one another, their arms brushing with every movement and every word. And he knew; he could  _ see  _ the feeling was mutual.

They didn’t talk much, down there with everyone else. Perhaps it was Goro trying to give Akira the peace and quiet he needed, or perhaps he simply didn’t want to risk another discussion starting in front of everyone else. Anyhow, Akira was grateful. It was best to just sit there quietly, watch his friends have fun and talk with one another and him; to see the whole group, together again. At one moment, Akira’s hand found Goro’s under the table, and their fingers intertwined; and that, too, felt like home.

There were silly moments, too. Like Goro and Haru getting introduced, both extremely wary of one another; like Goro pressing his lips into a thin line when he saw the hug Haru gave Akira, wishing him a happy birthday after he cut his cake. Akira was sure she did that on purpose, but he was thankful for that, too. Goro’s jealousy, even if just slightly, barely there, made him feel  _ wanted  _ again. Akira didn’t even realize how much he missed little things like that.

He unpacked his gifts – an elegant pen from Makoto, a shirt that looked suspiciously like a part of some casual Featherman cosplay from Futaba, a beautiful coffee-making set, all his own, from Haru and some top-grade beans from Ryuuji and Morgana. Ann had given him a soft, squishy plushie shaped like a loaf of bread, which was random but made him smile, and Yusuke had given him a huge poster of his own design; with the Phantom Thieves logo, and their silhouettes etched in front of it. There was even one that looked somewhat like Noir – Akira concluded the rest of the team must have informed him of their newest addition to the group, and Haru had shared what she’d  _ like  _ to have her outfit look like. Akira was moved, by all of these; and he could hardly do more than just repeat  _ thank you  _ all over again as he was gifted each and every one.

Only Goro’s gifts remained unpacked, by the end of it. There were two of them, both in rather flat boxes; one was rectangular whilst the other one was even thinner and square, like a necklace box. Akira itched to find out what was inside, but something made him stop himself from opening them in front of everyone else. No one commented on it; he supposed all of them understood. Goro certainly wasn’t rushing him. He only leaned a bit more against his side and smiled when Akira met his eye.

The party ended earlier than they thought it would, but still late enough Ryuuji started to yawn. Haru was the first one to excuse herself, and the blond jumped on the opportunity and offered to walk her home, which brought a curious raise of the eyebrow from Goro. Akira couldn’t help but smile at that.

Ann, Makoto, Futaba, Morgana and Yusuke stayed a bit longer, helping Akira and Goro clean up the café; but one after the other, they left, too. Yusuke asked Goro whether he wanted him to wait, and left with a soft nod when Goro shook his head. Futaba gathered the sleeping Morgana in her arms and bid her goodbye as well, with Makoto helping her carry the console back to Sojiro’s house. Ann was the last one to leave, and she turned in the door, looking at the two of them for a long while.

“…I’m leaving you two alone now,” she said. “So be still together in the morning, alright?”

Akira and Goro looked at one another, and then back at her. Akira couldn’t help another weak, tired smile from stretching his lips when he felt Goro’s hand rest gently on his shoulder.

“I’ll do my best for that to happen, Ann,” He said. 

 

* * *

 

With everything else that happened that evening, Akira almost forgot what a terrible mess his room was in – that is, until he and Goro climbed back upstairs and faced the sight of destruction.

Well, alright, it wasn’t  _ that  _ bad; but they still spent some time, each in their corner of the room, gathering the contents of the upturned boxes, putting all the little knick-knacks into their respective places and picking up scattered notes and homework Akira had thrown to the floor when searching for his necklace.

They each moved in silence, cleaning methodically; until they met by the desk, with Goro putting the Jack Frost plushie up on its rightful place and Akira bending down to grab a few last pages from under it. It was then he saw something that glinted in the dim light in between the floorboards. Akira gasped and grabbed for it, straightening up so fast he hit his head against the desk with a startled yelp.

“What—are you okay?” Goro spun to look at him and then stared at what Akira held in his hand. The necklace glinted innocently in it, and the detective smiled up at Akira after a moment, reaching out and closing his hand around it.

“…told you I’ll help you find it.” He said, in a gentle voice.

“I could have sworn I  _ checked  _ there…” Akira mumbled, squeezing his hand around the necklace. The metal quickly grew warm in his hand, and with it safe and there, Akira felt overwhelmed with relief. The thing that started this whole breakdown; the thing that made Goro come running to him, in a way… Akira smiled, bringing the necklace to his chest, against his heart.

“You were panicking… you could have overlooked something.” 

“No… But…” Akira hesitated. Back then, the day of the argument; he did throw the necklace roughly in that direction, with Morgana jumping after it, telling him to be careful… The raven bit his lip and frowned. Morgana… he  _ was  _ up here when he had his breakdown and Goro came running, didn’t he..?

No, Goro was right; he was panicking, he wasn’t exactly searching with a cool head, like right now. And surely, Morgana wouldn’t... 

“You’re right.” He said, shaking his head as if he wanted to dislodge the thought. 

“The important thing is, you’ve found it,” Goro said, the melancholy smile still on his face. “And… You still haven’t unpacked your gifts from me.” 

Akira sat down on the bed, reaching for the gifts. He looked up at Goro, surprised at seeing him hesitate. He patted the space beside himself, and Goro walked closer, sitting down next to him. He still looked hesitant.

“…what is it?”

“…I suppose I’m not sure if you want me to stay.” Goro said quietly. Akira felt something surge through his tired, overwhelmed heart; and for just a moment, his hand covered Goro’s gloved one, squeezing it lightly.

“I don’t want to be alone tonight.” He said simply, and then hesitated, as well. “And… I don’t think you want to, either.”

“No. Tonight… nor ever again.” Goro smiled and leaned his head down on Akira’s shoulder. “I’ll stay… however long you want me to.”

“Good,” Akira whispered, allowing his own head to rest against Goro’s. “Can I unpack the gifts now?”

“Mhm… of course. They’re yours, after all. Start from the heavier one, please.”

Akira obeyed; the rectangular, somewhat heavy package rested easily on his lap as he tried to unwrap it in a way that wouldn’t damage the beautiful paper too much. He didn’t want to tear it; a gift like this, given on such a day, he wanted to preserve every part of.

The paper revealed a simple, elegant box; and Akira opened it, only to see…

“…a gun?”

It was a model gun; the same type as Nataraja was. It made a surge of melancholy rip through him, and with the way it fit in his hand, Akira knew this was a model made for him and him alone. And just like that, it felt as if another missing piece of his heart has been put back, carefully and painstakingly, into its rightful place. He might not be exactly the same, after all that had happened; but perhaps it was still possible to gather himself up, and glue himself together.

Like a broken vase, put back together with gold, he might just end up more beautiful for it.

“…few days after… well,  _ after _ , I sacrificed Robin Hood.” Goro said quietly from beside him as Akira still admired his gun. It was winged, too; this time with wings pulled sharply back, indeed reminiscent of Robin Hood. They were dark, dusty gold; more similar to the metal he saw Goro’s bowblade made of than the shiny spark Nataraja used to have.

“This came out from the sacrifice?”

“Yes… You should have seen the way Ren looked at me when I asked him to do it. I haven’t returned to the Velvet Room since.” Goro sighed, but then, his expression turned into a smile. “Its name is  _ Vigilante _ . I knew from the start this was  _ your  _ weapon. And, well… I did owe you a gun.”

“It’s beautiful,” Akira whispered, carefully turning the model around. “Thank you…”

“I… I was thinking. About… well, all that time back, you told me… about how you had gotten your first one.” Goro started, in a hesitant voice. Akira swallowed and put the gun to the side. He didn’t reply to the unspoken question, and so Goro had to make himself say it.

“You had… gotten it from me, hadn't you? In your first run. I was the person you cared for, that you couldn’t save.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Slowly, Akira nodded, staring intently at his hands. He heard Goro let out a long breath.

“…I thought so.” He murmured. Akira smiled weakly.

“You’re too smart for your own good, you know that?” He managed.

“You’ve saved me now,” Goro said, and his gloved fingertips brushed Akira’s hand. “You’ve done more for me than you can imagine. So that promise is fulfilled.”

“You don’t know that yet.  _ I  _ don’t know that yet.” Akira sighed, but Goro straightened up and shook his head.

“I know.” He said simply. “It’s not you saving me from  _ dying  _ I was talking about just now, Akira. And… since you’ve fulfilled that promise, this gun is given with a new one.”

Akira looked to the side at him, and Goro met his eye, his own piercing into Akira’s very soul.

“…save  _ yourself _ . And let  _ me  _ do that, too. You’ve been suffering, Akira, and you had no one to help. So let me be the hero, if just a bit, from now on.”

The silence stretched between them; Akira looked away. He couldn’t talk, but he nodded, trying to stop himself from crying all over again. Goro didn’t need words. He understood and squeezed his hand before letting go.

“…you’re making me cry again, you jerk.” Akira heard himself mumble, reaching for the other gift. “And I’m only halfway done.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” Goro smiled, but once Akira unwrapped his second gift and revealed another box, he stopped him from opening it just yet.

“Um… this… I bought this really… weeks ago.” He mumbled, and Akira loved the flush that appeared on his cheeks when he said that. “I… I mean, the picture in it… I will understand if you’ll want to switch it for something else. Or just throw it away altogether. What I mean is…”

“Let me open it first.” Akira interrupted, unable to stop a smile; and opened the box to reveal a small, rather beautiful cat collar, red, with a small golden locket at the front. The tiny, round thing was engraved; it said…

_ I belong to: _

Inside, after Akira opened it, there was indeed a picture. It was one they took on their second date; happy and laughing, and so,  _ so _ in love. Akira stared at his gift, stunned; beside him, Goro shifted uneasily.

“I… when I bought it, I thought… well, one day, when Morgana will get his body back, you might… want to have a kitten. In the future, with me… We could adopt one from the shelter. And… it’d need a collar, so, until we have our own place and our own… but of course, now, it’s…”

Nothing felt as natural as what Akira did next. As if it was the easiest, the most obvious thing in the world, he turned to face Goro and caught his lips with his own, silencing him. For just a second, the detective sat frozen beside him; but then he melted into the kiss, his gloved hands flying up to cup Akira’s cheeks, a little sound escaping him as he leaned more into it. They kissed with softness and gentleness and care, but somehow, they managed to convey everything in that kiss – all the longing, all the pain, all the  _ love  _ they felt and all their desire to be together and never break away from one another like that again.

“You’re here,” Akira whispered, somewhere in between that kiss; and he felt Goro’s smile against his lips.

“I’m here.” 

The kiss shone, like gold in the cracks; and Akira felt, for the first time since everything went wrong, that it’ll all really be alright.

 


	49. So This Is Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of talks and apologies comes; and the Phantom Thieves formulate a new plan.

The early morning light streamed into the room, illuminating two tangled figures laying on the bed.

Akira was the first one to wake up – what with him facing the window, and the sunlight hitting him directly on the face. This wasn’t the most comfortable he’s ever woken up; he couldn’t feel his right arm, the clothes he fell asleep in felt sweaty, stiff and uncomfortable on his body and there was something distinctly sharp and pointy pushing into his back. And yet, at this moment in time, he wouldn’t have dreamed of a better awakening.

 _Goro was there_ ; and not just that. His boyfriend was snuggled close to him, his face resting against Akira’s chest, his arms wrapped around him. Goro’s own clothes were rumpled – exhausted, they both fell asleep last night without as much as changing into their pyjamas – and his hair was an epic mess of a bedhead. And yet, he looked so _peaceful_ with his eyes crinkled slightly and a soft, sweet smile tugging on the corners of his lips. Akira couldn’t help but think his boyfriend had to already be dreaming of them holding one another like this.

Akira deliberated waking Goro up, but one look at the hints of tiredness still visible on his lover’s face made him stop himself from doing that. Goro needed the sleep, and Akira knew better than anyone at this moment that the comfort and closeness of sleeping together again were what let him rest easy last night. He wasn’t going to rob Goro of the first good sleep he had in days.

As he watched him sleep, one hand coming up to stroke gently through Goro’s soft, messy hair, Akira thought of what happened last night. Of the talk they had; of his gifts – not like Vigilante would let him forget about itself, this was what was poking him in the back – and of the kiss they shared afterwards.

He smiled gently to himself and leaned in, resting back down on the pillow with his lips pressed against Goro’s forehead.

It still felt like a dream, he thought, reminiscing. Goro finding him; coming to comfort him in the lowest point he’s hit until now. Now, he felt a hint – well, more than just a hint, really – of embarrassment even thinking about the argument he had with Yusuke, or the way he just… broke down. It didn’t seem logical to him now; didn’t seem like something he even would have done. And yet, everyone accommodated him, treated him as if he was the only one in the right… Today was a day for talks and apologies, and Akira felt a strange feeling of calm wash over him at the thought. It will be difficult, yes; but for the first time since so long, he felt like he could think clearly. For the first time in days, he felt completely in control over himself again.

Perhaps it was the fact he broke down so thoroughly? Having let all of these bottled-up emotions out, his mind could finally work without being clouded by them. Or perhaps all this fighting, all this jealousy and chaos was really just Yaldabaoth—

No. Akira closed his eyes, confronting the tempting thought. Oh, it would be so nice, to say it wasn’t him; but the last few days weren’t Yaldabaoth’s doing. He knew they weren’t; he was not going to allow himself to pull excuses right now. It was himself – others weren’t blameless, for sure, but it was his own faults and his own decisions that made them all suffer so much. He couldn’t go back to how he was; he needed to face the consequences.

And, somehow, even just acknowledging all that… It made him feel better. It made him feel free and made him feel like Joker again. Akira knew there was still a long, long road to get through, but he also knew these were the first steps taken down it.

And things will get better further on.

“Mm… Akira?”

Goro’s voice was soft and still warm with sleep. Akira felt him stir in his arms and leaned his head back a little to smile down at him. Goro’s crimson eyes met his own, and Akira wondered, not for the first time, if he had ever seen something quite this beautiful before.

“Sorry… did I wake you up?” Akira whispered back. Now they were both awake, he finally risked reaching his hand back and dislodging Vigilante’s wing from his back, sighing in relief. The gun felt whole and not-damaged, too, so that was a win.

“No… I think my dream just… ended.” Goro let out a somewhat awkward laugh, and Akira pulled him close.

“Good. I get you all to myself, then.”

“Idiot. You always have me all to yourself.”

Goro’s laughter was soft; it resounded through Akira’s body as his boyfriend squirmed in his arms, trying to escape ticklish kisses Akira was peppering over his face, just to keep him laughing. It was a beautiful little moment. Akira felt, all of a sudden, almost like he was about to cry.

They settled down after a while, stretching as well as the small bed allowed them to. Akira hesitated for a moment; but when he finally spoke, words came tumbling out as if he were only waiting to let them go.

“Goro… I need to apologize to you.” He said, and felt Goro’s eyes on himself, wide and confused. Akira shook his head lightly, continuing to speak.

“I… Yesterday… you shouldn’t blame yourself for everything. I shouldn’t have blamed you like that.”

“Akira, I—”

“ _No…_ let me say it. We were… we both screwed up. I was lying to you; I was manipulating you. And yet… I never stopped to think that maybe getting into a relationship with you without coming clean was a pretty damn hypocritical thing to do.”

“You said it yourself,” Goro said quietly. His hands found Akira’s own; his previously numb arm now felt as if it was a pincushion, but even so, Goro’s touch felt nice. “You tried. You couldn’t do it. End of story.”

“No. Not the end.” Akira shook his head stubbornly. “I should have told you there were things I couldn’t say. Things I hid from you. Like you did; _you_ didn’t assume it’ll all be well if we start our whole relationship on a lie. You came clean to me, you took all these risks… You preferred to reject me than to let me be with you without being able to make a conscious decision about it. I did none of these things, and I _loathe_ myself for that. All this time… every lie, every manipulative thing I ever did was only to keep you safe. To keep all of you safe. I knew you wouldn’t believe me if I suddenly explained I was, what… a time-traveller? And I _had to_ act. But just because I had good intentions doesn’t mean it was _right_ of me. And I’m _sorry_ , Goro. I… I wish there were stronger words than that. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

Goro’s hands tightened on Akira’s own; and he hid his face in Akira’s chest, listening to every last word of his confession. Akira wondered what was going through his head; whether he was angry, whether it hurt him, to remind him of all that had happened… but all he could feel, after a while, were delicate, timid sobs; and he tugged his hands away, instead wrapping his arms tightly around Goro’s frame, pulling him closer against his chest.

“ _…thank you_.” Goro managed to choke out after a moment, face still stubbornly pressed against Akira’s chest. “For… for this. I wanted… I thought I was going to be the brave one this time, and just…”

“How about we agree we both are going to just… not assume any roles anymore. We can both be brave… and we can both be in need of comfort sometimes.” Akira managed a smile, kissing the top of Goro’s head. He felt him nod shakily against his chest.

Another silence followed, and Akira didn’t feel like rushing things. They didn’t have anywhere to hurry _to_ , for starters; it was still very early. Goro went so quiet in Akira’s arms, he thought perhaps his boyfriend had fallen asleep again; and indeed, his voice sounded drowsy when he spoke again.

“Did you know… everything, then? From the start?” Goro asked. Akira had to think about the answer.

“…not everything.” He finally said, weighing his words. “We weren’t… I couldn’t even dream of being this close to you back then. Some things you’ve told me about yourself, about the whole situation… I had no idea. But… yes. I knew of your work for Shido. I knew of your plans, and I’ve seen them come to completion.”

“…how did we not get together the first time?” Goro managed a humourless laugh, shaking his head lightly. “I was… I had a crush on you almost from the moment you looked at me, right after I knocked those stupid fake glasses off your face. I don’t see how—”

“The first time we met, the first timeline I lived through,” Akira said, tightening his hold around Goro. “…was at the TV station. Well past Madarame.”

For a long, long while, there was silence. And then, Goro let out a long, shaky breath.

“ _God_ .” He whispered. “I would have already been suspicious of you. More than suspicious in fact, knowing you, and knowing Ryuuji and Ann and… well, I don’t think Yusuke’d have… but he _was_ Madarame’s last remaining pupil. Hell, it had to be obvious to me _you_ were the ones, right since then…”

“I think you’ve stalked us in the Metaverse before even meeting us face to face,” Akira said quietly. “You heard Morgana talk; that’s how I found out you weren’t quite who you had said you were. Remember that stupid pancake conversation?”

“What?” Goro frowned, trying to remember. Akira let out a sigh.

“No matter… Morgana said something, and you didn’t see who said that, coming from behind the corner, so you replied to what you had heard.”

“…you’re giving me a run for my money again. Aren’t you one cunning detective when you want to be, Akira.” Goro let out another little, flat chuckle. “You knew from _that_?”

“Later, yes…” Akira sighed, pulling him closer still. “But it was too late by then.”

Goro sighed. Akira could feel his hands twist into the fabric of his shirt, keeping him close. As if Akira would let go; as if he could even _imagine_ letting go at this point.

“…I killed people, then.” Goro said quietly. Akira hesitated, but nodded.

“The IT guy… Kobayakawa… who else did I kill?”

Akira opened his mouth and then groaned, feeling the familiar tightening around his throat. Goro chuckled and shook his head.

“Alright, then… let me guess. I know Shido is planning for me to kill Okumura.”

Akira nodded, and then finally managed to speak.

“You didn’t… the IT person, he didn’t die the first run. I think it’s my fault. The events I changed, Medjed offering their help, I… It must have triggered…”

“Stop blaming yourself,” Goro said in a serious tone. “God, out of the two of us, you’re the last one who should blame yourself. So… Kobayakawa and Okumura… who else? If I killed Okumura, it means that Shido’s plan would have worked. We’d have infiltrated Sae-san’s Palace… was I in the group then?”

“Yes…” Akira felt himself smile sardonically. “You blackmailed yourself in. It was kind of hot, the way you just pretty much told us we were all idiots and you had the upper hand.”

“Hot…?” Akira didn’t need to see Goro to know he blushed. “You get the _strangest_ ideas at the least appropriate of times…”

“You know, I _have_ been thinking about that.” Akira laughed quietly. “I thought how… how much I obsessed about you back then. I never entertained the thought, but… God, I had to be crushing on you for a long time, hadn’t I? That’s the power of denial for you… and the power of the rest of the Thieves being too busy suspecting you to notice and hit me over the head for it.”

“Can’t exactly blame them.” Goro paused for a moment. He looked conflicted, but after a moment, he continued to speak.

“So you all got arrested, if we went to Sae-san’s Palace. I know this is Shido’s plan; he told me already. For me to join the Phantom Thieves… god, if only he knew… and then aid in capturing you. But then—”

“Only I got caught,” Akira said quietly, and the next moment, Goro pushed him away so hard he almost fell off of the bed. They stared at each other; Goro’s eyes were wide, red and puffy from crying, but more than that, they were _terrified_ and _pleading_ now.

“…no.” He said, swallowing thickly. “I _didn’t_ … they broke you out, didn’t they? I… He didn’t… I never heard anything but hints, but surely, I _couldn’t_ … I didn’t kill—” His voice broke, and then, Akira saw him smile; a sort of manic stretch to his lips.

“Wait, no… I _died_ , didn’t I? I died, and you saw that, so I couldn’t have—Thank _god_ …”

“Goro,” Akira’s hands shot up, cupping Goro’s cheeks, trying to snap him out of it. His eyes were still so wide, so filled with terror at what his past crimes could be. Akira pressed their foreheads together, unable to look at the way these eyes stared at him.

“…never say it’s good that you’ve… that…” He managed to choke out. Goro shook his head against him.

“I’d rather have died than kill you, Akira.”

“You tried to,” Akira said, quietly. “We… we outsmarted you and Shido. I escaped. We only met again…”

“…in Shido’s Palace.” Goro finished for him, his voice sounding _hollow._ Akira hummed, and then – tentative, not sure if he’d be able to tell the whole tale – he started to talk.

“It was almost the same, only the rest of the Thieves were there. The engine room… your cognitive self… This time, when it happened, I was almost mad with panic. I thought it was going to happen again…”

“Why would my cognitive self kill me, if I was still Shido’s puppet in that timeline…?” Goro asked, and then Akira felt him gasp. Some of the tension bled away from his shoulders. “Wait… I _wasn’t,_ was I? I did something… in the end, at least, I…”

“You saved us,” Akira whispered, and this time, it was his voice that broke. “Sacrificed yourself to keep us safe. You… you made me promise, to change Shido’s heart in your stead. I—”

He couldn’t finish, but Goro understood.

They were silent; for the longest time, there was silence. Akira knew this was a lot to take in; he wondered if he should say something, explain that this past Goro wasn’t the present one, that the previous timeline existed nowhere but in his mind. And yet… he couldn’t find words to express that. All he could do was to continue holding Goro, to rub his back and comfort him, like he knew he needed to be comforted right now.

“I have just two more questions.” Goro finally said, in a raw, broken voice. Akira nodded silently, urging him on.

“…how could you have forgiven me? All that… I _tried to kill you_ . Hell, possibly _all of you_. How could you—”

“The same reason why everyone forgave you _now_ ,” Akira said simply. “ _I knew_ . Shido was talkative, when we fought him. How could I _not_ forgive you…? And that was before I knew about your mum, about your life… about how much you fear him, even now… How was there anything to even forgive..?”

“You moron,” Goro whispered, and then took in a shaky breath. “And the other thing… how did you _know_? How did you—You couldn’t have known we’d bump into each other back then, in April. So how did you plan all of the—”

“That,” Akira interrupted, and for the first time, he smiled a big, genuinely happy smile, “—was a one hundred percent, honest to god accident, Goro. And it was the best accident that ever happened to me, in my entire life.”

Goro kissed him then; and it was a long, love-filled kiss that Akira was happy to drown in. He felt Goro’s hands release his shirt and wrap around him in turn, and pulled him even closer to himself in response. They remained snuggled close together even when their kiss ended, drinking in each other’s closeness.

“Thank you,” Goro whispered after a moment. “For telling me all this, for forgiving me… for _saving_ me, I…”

“ _Goro…_ ”

“I don’t want any secrets between us anymore. No lies, no secrets, even if we think it’s for the best.” Akira watched Goro take a deep breath; saw the look he gave him and smiled, nodding silently. Goro smiled back at him, one hand coming up to stroke through Akira’s hair.

“Then… I want you to promise something, too.” Akira said, leaning into the touch. “Don’t run from me again. Even if you feel like the whole world is crumbling… let me be there.”

“Okay,” Goro whispered, without a moment’s hesitation. “I know—I won’t. I know I have an, uh… _problem_ with that.”

“Good.” Akira smiled, and kissed him again.

 _I love you_ – he almost said it then. And yet… Just a little more, Akira thought to himself, feeling silly and in love all over again. It had to be perfect, and he had the place and time in mind already. Instead, he let their joined lips do the talking; there was still some time before they would need to get up and face the day.

For now, they could rest.

 

* * *

 

“I’m sorry.”

Akira didn’t even cross the threshold of Goro’s and Yusuke’s apartment before saying that; and yet, judging by the face Yusuke had given him, he’s only _just_ managed to beat the artist to apologizing first.

Once Akira and Goro laid in bed long enough it was obvious even a minute longer would make them both late to school, they rolled out of the bed together and dressed up as best they could. Goro was still blushing about his rumpled shirt and what exactly it looked like when he was wearing it when they walked downstairs – and it was a good thing they didn’t wait any longer with getting out of bed. Sojiro was there already, and he had a _lot_ to say to Goro, even despite Akira’s weak attempts at pacifying the man.

For his part, Goro didn’t seem to mind. He accepted every harsh word and promised to do better from then on with enough conviction and honest regret in his voice even Sojiro couldn’t stay mad at him. He soon reverted to awkwardly clearing his throat and grumbling something about _well if you’re here already you might as well eat something with the kid, too_. Akira smiled at Goro as they sat down next to each other, and received a weak smile in return, and then Futaba came bounding in with Morgana in her arms, and the tense atmosphere disappeared without a trace.

They agreed to meet up, all of them, after school – at Goro’s place this time. Akira was looking forward to it so much he actually talked Kawakami into letting him skip the last class, and even Morgana couldn’t stay lecturing him about how wrong that was for long. He was too obviously happy for that.

Soon, he was knocking on the door, feeling lighter than he had in forever; and it was Yusuke who opened them.

Now, they stared at one another for a moment, and then Yusuke let out a little sigh and allowed his lips to stretch in an even smaller smile before letting Akira in. From the looks of it, he and Morgana were the first ones to come – and there was no sign of Goro anywhere.

“Where—More importantly, actually, Yusuke, I really need to—” Akira started, but Yusuke stopped him, shaking his head.

“Come. I want to show you something.” He said quietly. Akira felt confused, but obediently took off his shoes, let Morgana out of his bag and followed the artist through their apartment, to the small door he knew was the one leading to the bathroom. There was the sound of the shower running coming from behind the door, and, though muffled by the water…

“ _So this is love~ Mmmmmmm~ So this is love~ So this is what makes life divine~”_

Akira couldn’t help himself; he grinned, feeling the colour rise up in his cheeks. Yusuke’s smile widened, too; a great fondness appeared in his eyes as he looked back at Akira.

“I need to apologize, as well. I was out of line back there.” He said, in a serious voice. Akira sighed and shook his head.

“I started it, and… you were only protecting Goro, Yusuke. Sure, it hurt like hell, don’t get me wrong, but what I have said… I have no excuse, apart from just… an overflow of emotions. I’m sorry. I’m so, _so sorry_ … I swear, I did not mean what I said. It was only meant to hurt, and—”

“I accept,” Yusuke said, resting a hand on Akira’s shoulder. “I, too… should have foreseen that seeing me alone would cause you pain. I suppose…” Yusuke sighed, and shook his head.

“I have never had a friend as close as Goro. Seeing him suffer… hurting myself, even though I _knew_ that, logically, you couldn’t have done anything any sooner, I know that better than anyone… It all simply boiled over at that moment. I understand the same thing happened to you. And if you can forgive me, Akira… I do hope we can still be friends, even if… different, from what you can remember.”

“…god, I wish you all stopped trying to make me cry.” Akira tried to joke, taking in a deep breath; and then giving Yusuke a hug, though the artist stiffened awkwardly and only after a moment remembered himself enough to give Akira a hesitant pat on the shoulder. Akira then let him go with an awkward laugh.

“S-sorry. I’m still somewhat all over the place. Well… Let’s… let’s go to the kitchen, okay? You can fill me in on what you were doing over the last few days, and I’ll make some coffee for us and our resident singer.” He smiled fondly, looking at the bathroom door. Goro continued to sing, obviously unaware Akira was there, listening. Yusuke nodded, mirroring his smile.

“You know… I haven’t heard him sing, ever since… it was awful. That silence, more than anything else. The silence and then, during the night, the sound of concealed crying…” Yusuke shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself. “It was like Sens— _Madarame’s_ atelier, all over again. I’m glad it’s over.”

“It’s over,” Akira said, voice more serious than ever before. “I swear. I will not make the same mistake again… If you can give me one more chance at that promise, Yusuke.”

“It’s not up to me to give you a chance.” Yusuke smiled lightly and, once again, rested a hand on Akira’s shoulder. “And… you have been given one. I have no right to speak against it, nor would I want to. If I have learnt anything from my time as a Phantom Thief it’s that people make mistakes, and… people change. And you’ve brought music back into our life. I think that’s enough for now.”

 

* * *

 

 

They ended up chatting about topics much less serious and much easier to talk about in the kitchen, while Akira was making coffee and Morgana munched on some dry cat food he compared to human snacks, interjecting into their conversation ever so often. Yusuke told him about his new piece which he was planning to enter into a competition, themed around love; Akira listened and grew progressively redder as he did. Not as red, though, as Goro, when he strolled into the kitchen with his hair still damp and gathered into a ponytail, and when he realized that Akira not only heard him sing, but that he was never going to escape without enduring all the teasing the raven had in store for him.

Gradually, the rest of the Thieves arrived, and one after the other, they grabbed something to drink and unpacked the snacks they had brought with them. Ryuuji and Haru were the last ones to arrive, which gathered some knowing smiles around the room, up until the moment they _did_ come.

Haru was the first one; looking pale and lacking the usual, cheery vibe. Her eyes looked somewhat red, and just one look was enough for them to stand up and gather around her, asking what was wrong.

And then, a few minutes later, before Haru could say anything apart from a greeting, Ryuuji stepped into the apartment.

Even within their group, they’d joke that Ryuuji looked like a thug sometimes; but right now, with a broken lip, and his face generally bruised and worse for wear, he looked the part more than anything. Akira was the first one to approach him.

“What happened?” He asked, dumbfounded, looking from Haru to Ryuuji. The girl looked like she was going to cry again; meanwhile, Ryuuji only looked embarrassed. He even managed a small grin.

“What, this? ‘S nothing, man, I’ll heal.” He said, shrugging; and then, Ryuuji’s expression visibly softened as he looked at Haru.

“Haru’s got it worse than me. But I’ve been saying, it’ll be fine, right? You have all of us here, and we’re never gonna let that bastard—”

“Okay, alright, come in and sit down and tell us what happened.” Goro sighed, pulling Ryuuji further into the apartment while Akira led Haru in, wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders. She smiled weakly and followed him inside.

It didn’t take a lot of explaining; especially that, once Akira understood the general situation, he could supply some background information. Last night, Ryuuji walked Haru all the way home; and just before they reached it, they were accosted by Sugimura, the man Haru was supposed to marry. Neither of them was sure whether Sugimura was drunk or not; maybe he was just his own, vile self. He started to mock Haru for going out with a thug, insulting Ryuuji and his family. To his own surprise, Ryuuji said, he didn’t lash out; but Haru did, slapping the bastard for what he had said. Sugimura tried to hit her in retaliation, but Ryuuji took the hit for her, and that seemed to be the end of it.

If only. Akira knew what was coming next, and saved Haru from having to spell it out for herself.

“He’s going to sell you to Sugimura anyway, huh,” Akira said, looking at the girl, who nodded wordlessly. Ann gasped and hugged her, and – after a moment’s hesitation – so did Makoto. Morgana jumped onto the table.

“We can’t allow this to happen!”

“No, we can’t.” Ryuuji agreed, cracking his knuckles. “We were supposed to change that bastard’s heart anyway, yeah?”

“I don’t want to marry this…” Haru hesitated, and then looked up; and the girl that looked up at them was the Haru Akira knew and loved, the fierce, unstoppable one. “This smug, stupid  _creep_ ! Not even _after_ his heart is changed!”

“I am completely in agreement with Okumura-san,” Goro said, and then sighed quietly. “Besides… people with no distortion whatsoever are still capable of doing vile things. I’m the best example.”

“Anyhow,” Yusuke said, before Akira could react. “That, combined with the late voices of the public, calling for Okumura’s change of heart… doesn’t that align itself quite well?”

“We have a deadline now,” Makoto said, sitting down next to Haru and crossing her arms over her chest. “And we’ve lost a lot of time. So what we need now, is…”

“A battleplan!” Futaba grinned from where she sat, perched on the edge of a chair. They looked at one another, smiling. Akira’s hand reached out and covered Goro’s own; he alone remained serious, and Akira knew why. Slowly, he stood up, waiting until all of the others fell quiet and looked up at him.

“Before we start formulating one,” Akira said, and his voice felt strangely timid in the sudden silence. “I… I need to say something. Apologize, for one. I’ve apologized to each of you in turn, but… I’m sorry. For causing a split in our group, and all this lost time… and for not relying on you guys more. I’ve been a pretty lousy leader, I’m afraid.”

“Dude…” Ryuuji said, grinning lightly. “We know all that already. ‘S all good—”

“Some things should… be spoken out. Shouldn’t they?” Akira insisted, and then smiled down at Goro, who nodded and stood up as well, still squeezing Akira’s hand.

“I agree. And… I need to apologize, too. Our team… what we do… At this point, it should be more important to all of us, and me in particular, than any personal feelings. I’m done running away and allowing more misunderstandings… I just hope you guys can still give me a chance. I’m sorry for how I behaved, and for how long I stayed stubborn.”

For a moment, there was just… _this_ . The silence, in which all of them exchanged looks and little, slow smiles; a moment in which they felt part of the team more than ever before. It wasn’t perfect; they all knew they’ll need time and patience for everything to go back to how it once was, but it was a _start_ – and right now, none of them needed anything more. Akira and Goro sat down, their fingers interlaced; and, once the moment passed, Goro started to speak again.

“Alright. Back to the plan, now that’s out the way.” He blushed slightly. “Perhaps… I should start with what we were up to during… the last few days.”

“Nothing much, on our part,” Ann said, reaching out for her soda and scratching Morgana under his chin while at it. “We invited Haru into our team; we went to Mementos, but she didn’t awaken to her Persona yet. Apart from that, we, uh… we let ourselves…”

“We didn’t do anything because I was busy being depressed,” Akira said flatly, cutting the issue. Makoto cleared her throat.

“For our part… we finished some of the missions we got from the PhanSite. The only ones we have left, really, are of Hifumi’s mother… I, um… I’ll have something more to talk about, concerning that… And the gamer we couldn’t land a hit on.”

“The cheat?” Akira tilted his head and smiled fondly, remembering Shinya’s teachings. “I know how to defeat him; we can do that next trip to Mementos, no problem. And I’ll need Futaba’s help in the afternoon sometime. There’s someone I need to meet in Akihabara, but they’ll need a hacking job done before they trust us.”

“No problem, chief.” Futaba saluted. Akira grinned at her.

“As for Hifumi’s mother, well…” Makoto sighed, playing with the strand of her hair. “I suppose you all know me and Hifumi… I mean, her mother was there one time, at the church, while we were talking. She wasn’t exactly happy with whom Hifumi was meeting, and… she also keeps pressuring her into a lot of things, some concerning her professional career. I feel bad, asking for help there, since I also have another request to make, but—”

“We’ll help.” Akira smiled, looking around the whole group. Everyone nodded; of course they’ll help. “We’ve done it once already. Now—”

“Akira, I… I have another question.” Makoto ploughed on, finally looking up and meeting his eyes. “I would like to tell Hifumi I’m a Phantom Thief. I mean, after we change her mother’s heart, it’ll be obvious, won’t it? And… I think we all could see _very_ clearly what secrets do to relationships. However, I will not say anything if any of you protests.”

“I… actually wanted to talk about the same thing,” Ann said, from beside Makoto. “I don’t like having to hide something like that from Shiho. I think she knows, anyway; it’s probably hard not to notice something like that, when you’re close to someone.”

“I… well, this is risky…” Goro said carefully, but he was interrupted by Yusuke.

“I think it is only your right to make that decision.” The artist said in a serious voice. “If you can vouch for the girls’ integrity, I don’t see how we could have anything against it.”

“It’s not good if a lot of people know…” Goro started again, but this time, Akira interrupted him.

“They know already, or will know soon. We’re not exactly being sneaky, changing Hifumi’s mother’s heart, Goro. Makoto and Ann are right. I vote they should be allowed in on the secret.”

Slowly, one by one, the rest of the Thieves voted their agreement. Finally, Goro agreed, too, though only after Ann and Makoto promised that the information they’re a part of the Phantom Thieves will be the _only_ information they impart. It was one thing to be honest, he reasoned, and another to let the wider public know all their plans.

For that, both the girls agreed without argument.

“There’s someone else we need to tell,” Akira said, looking straight at Futaba, who went pale, but eventually nodded. Akira took a deep breath.

“Believe me… he’d find out on his own in time. I think it’s better if we tell him ourselves.”

“You mean Boss?” Goro asked, and then sighed as well, nodding. “I probably should be there, too. I might get another lecture out of it, but I should be there.”

“Okay.” Futaba nodded, swallowing thickly. “Ugh… w-when should we—?”

“I think tomorrow would be optimal. Akira and Futaba can do their Akihabara errand then, as well.” Goro smiled with no humour in his smile. “I will leave Makoto and Ann to tell their girlfriends about us tomorrow, too. And this way, on Sunday, we will infiltrate Mementos and take care of Togo-san, the cheating gamer and Sugimura-kun…”

“Hopefully, that will be enough to trigger Haru’s awakening.” Akira agreed, and the girl directed a brave little smile at him. “As for what we do next…”

“Okumura’s Palace it is.” Ryuuji nodded, leaning in from his chair. “That’s top priority right now, right?”

“What about the IT person, and Principal Kobayakawa?” Makoto asked, in a tense voice. “If someone is killing people in the Metaverse… Goro-kun, you were investigating them, weren’t you?”

“Indeed.” Goro sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “It’s… strange. Shido… he seems to think I performed the assassination of the IT company president; he even praised me on my skill.” The words were almost spat, he said them with so much bitterness in his voice. “I swear, I did not touch the hair on the head of any of them, and yet…”

“What about Kobayakawa? Did Shido order his death, too, or—” Morgana asked, his ears flicking slightly.

“I’m sure it was an assassination.” Goro nodded grimly. “But _I_ was not asked to perform it. I cannot confidently say this was a mental shutdown case, as well; but I think it’s more than possible. That means one of two things. One… we have another user of the Metaverse, of whom we do not know. And two…”

There was silence. Goro bit his lip and sighed, shaking his head.

“I… honestly, I don’t know. There _has to_ be another explanation. I simply… I can’t believe there’s someone else. Akira, you… there _wasn’t_ anyone else, was there?”

They all looked at him, and Akira shook his head. Goro rubbed down his face.

“For now…” He said, after a moment’s silence. “I have another order from Shido. The plan… the death of the IT company president made him angry, and derailed his plans somewhat, but he still wants to go along with them. The public pressure to eliminate Okumura… It’s all engineered by the Conspiracy. If we steal his Treasure, we will be playing right into Shido’s hand.”

“But we  _gotta_ change his heart,” Ryuuji said in alarm. Goro let out a sigh and nodded, before looking up. Across the room, his eyes met with Haru’s, and the girl held her gaze.

“Shido’s plan is for me to assassinate Okumura, after the Phantom Thieves change his heart. This way, the Phantom Thieves will be accused of his murder, and Shido will be hailed as the one who saw them for what they were from the start. My own reputation as the Detective Prince will skyrocket, too, of course. Killing Okumura was a direct order from Shido; if I disobey him, all our plans – and my life – will be at risk.”

Goro looked up at Akira; and in his eyes, there was the old, mischievous glint Akira knew – and loved – so well. It meant Goro had a _plan_.

“And that’s why,” Goro continued, looking back at Haru, who straightened up on her seat. “It is important that, by the end of our allotted time… your father _does_ die, Okumura-san.”


	50. Forbearing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Thieves let more people in on their secret, and Akira and Goro enjoy their last day before their new mission starts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a companion piece to this story taking place directly before the start of this chapter! It's NSFW, so be aware of that. 
> 
> You can read it here: [NG+ chapter 49,5](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18792889)

**Akira:** Hello ♥

**Akira:** I miss you ♥️

**Goro:** ...

**Goro:** We literally saw each other 4 hours ago

**Akira:** so?

**Goro:** touche

**Goro:** I missed you too

**Goro:** are we meeting at Leblanc today?

**Akira:** h

**Akira:** yeah

**Akira:** I really hope Boss will take it well

**Goro:** he didn’t before?

**Akira:** he did! I’m just nervous

**Goro:** I can relate, I suppose

**Akira:** anyway, Ann told Shiho first thing this morning

**Akira:** wish you were here, Shiho gave her the most no shit sherlock face i’ve ever seen

**Goro:** i’m glad it went well :) we’ll wait for Makoto to report back now, and then we can move on to more serious stuff

**Akira:** mhm

**Akira:** after today, will you stay over?

**Akira:** or I could stay over again?

**Goro:** I’d feel bad exiling Yusuke. Or leaving him alone

**Akira:** we don’t need to do anything you know

**Goro:** I know 

**Goro:** but we planned not to do anything last night too and, well…

**Akira:** and you just accidentally started undressing when you came back from the shower, gotcha

**Goro:** oh shut up

**Akira:** hey, no need to be shy! these things happen. you tripped, clothes fell off

**Goro:** shut up!

**Akira:** I love it when you blush ♥

**Goro:** I am /not/ blushing

**Goro:** I am simply appalled by your shamelessness

**Akira:** oh you think THAT was shameless huh

**Akira:** is that a challenge

**Goro:** no!

**Goro:** anyway I don’t remember you protesting

**Goro:** indeed, you were quite eager to participate if I recall correctly

**Goro:** something about me being so sexy I’m going to be the death of you?

**Akira:** it’s cute you think I’m going to protest like I wouldn’t yell that out again from the top of the building

**Goro:** all i’m saying is, we were alone last night. that influenced any and all actions i might have undertaken

**Akira:** and all i’m saying is, when we’re not alone, we don’t need to do anything. Anyway, we won’t be able to

**Goro:** how so?

**Akira:** where do you think Morgana will sleep? 

**Goro:** ah

**Goro:** you know, I just got hit with the realization you’ve been sleeping with another man in your bed for months now

**Akira:** don’t go there

**Akira:** I try not to

**Akira:** anyway… back to the original topic

**Akira:** I’ll confirm today with Futaba and in the evening, once we’re done in Akihabara, I could come over?

**Akira:** but only if you want me to

**Goro:** you know I do ♥

 

Akira stared at his phone, feeling a stupid grin stretch his lips. He shouldn’t have done that - a well-aimed chalk missile hit him on the forehead exactly two seconds later, together with the teacher’s lecture, but the raven didn’t even care. He waited for the nagging to end and pulled out his phone again, typing a quick message to Futaba and ignoring Morgana’s quiet, disapproving meow.

 

**Floofhead:** operation telling Boss is still on today?

**Inkling:** h

**Floofhead:** you know this was my reaction too

**Inkling:** yeah uh

**Inkling:** let’s do it

**Inkling:** i’m super not looking forward to it! just so you know!

**Floofhead:** me neither but goro’s gonna be there so i’m good

**Floofhead:** haha… my reason to be happy for a lot of things now

**Inkling:** …

**Inkling:** i’m gonna regret asking huh

**Inkling:** ok what’s up with you two. go off

**Floofhead:** Futaba I’m SO IN LOVE

**Inkling:** god I knew it you’ve been dying to gush huh

**Floofhead:** he’s so sweet and it’s working out so well and 

**Floofhead:** we’re both trying for it to work and i’ve never before felt it was so easy to talk?

**Floofhead:** like he was always easy to talk to but now it’s just so effortless like i totally don’t need to watch my words with him anymore

**Floofhead:** and he’s trying SO HARD it’s so cute??? he’s making so much effort to look pretty for me and make me comfortable and make me laugh and

**Inkling:** god you two are OBNOXIOUS I REGRET ASKING

**Floofhead:** we made breakfast together today and he’s been trying to learn how to cook he’s so clumsy in the kitchen but he’s doing his best and

**Inkling:** i’m blocking you

**Floofhead:** pls don’t whom will i gush to

**Inkling:** Ann?

**Floofhead:** bold of you to think I’m not gushing to her irl already

**Inkling:** so what do you need ME for

**Floofhead:** cause she threatened to smack me next time i start

**Inkling:** use mona he’s stuck with you anyway

**Floofhead:** I’M TRYING but every time I tell him how much I love Goro he just goes i know

**Inkling:** did you tell goro how much you love goro

**Floofhead:** what are you an idiot

**Inkling:** wait you didn’t????

**Floofhead:** no??? I’m waiting for the right moment???

**Inkling:** god you two are hopeless

**Inkling:** HOPELESS

**Inkling:** bl cliches

**Floofhead:** ...futaba he’s so perfect he deserves the perfect i love you moment

**Floofhead:** with fireworks! and music! and stuff!

**Inkling:** istg

**Inkling:** fine

**Inkling:** be dumb gays just leave me out of it

**Floofhead:** as if you weren’t dying for info anyway

**Inkling:** UGH

**Inkling:** maybe

**Inkling:** ok you can gush to me but get me smth from Akiba today for dealing with your bs

**Floofhead:** np <3

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a busy day at Leblanc - there rarely were busy days, anyway. Still, there were more customers than they hoped for. Akira and Goro met at the station and entered the cafe together, hand-in-hand. They sat down in one of the booths - Morgana hopped out of Akira’s bag and jumped onto the opposite seat, where he could stretch out properly. Soon afterwards, Futaba joined them, and all that was left was trying to somehow endure the awkward silence and wait for the regulars to leave.

Akira couldn’t help fidgeting all the way through. They couldn’t talk - all of them too nervous to string a conversation together - and so they simply sat there, waiting. Akira wondered how they should start - how do you even start a conversation like that? Hey, Boss, so we’re the Phantom Thieves? 

The last time, they were spared from that, Akira remembered. Sojiro had found their calling card for Futaba, and it went on from there. Now, though he stood by his opinion that it’d be only fair to tell the man the truth, Akira wondered how they would even go about bringing it up.

In the end, it turned out he shouldn’t have worried. All it took was a look after the last customer left, and Sojiro strode to over their booth from behind the counter, setting three cups of coffee and a tiny saucer of cream for Morgana on the table before sitting down, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Alright.” He said as the four of them looked at one another. “What is it? You kids’ve been sitting here like it’s someone’s funeral.” 

“We… erm… we have something to discuss with you, Boss.” 

Goro was the first one to break the silence and Akira couldn’t help but love him for it. Out of all of them, he was the one who had already rather soured his relationship with Sojiro, what with all the lecturing the previous day - and yet he decided to start. Futaba seemed to be thinking the same, the way she leaned in, playing with the cup in front of her. 

“...Sojiro, you know how… some time ago, I uh… I got better?” She started, and Akira saw Boss look at each of them in turn with a frown. Morgana sighed, jumping onto Futaba’s lap and curling up there, obviously realizing the girl needed comfort. 

“Just… get it over with. You can explain more once the big truth is out.” The cat said, looking over at Akira, who nodded.

“It was… the Phantom Thieves, who did that.” He said, pulling Sojiro’s attention to him. “Changed Futaba’s heart, so that she stopped believing all those lies the adults fed her.” 

For a moment, Akira wasn’t sure what to expect. Sojiro stared at him, and it felt as if he would either start a full-on rage, start laughing or do something else entirely; but before he could do any of these things, Futaba started talking, even if she couldn’t quite look at him.

“I asked them to! I really… it was bad…” Futaba hesitated; her voice became broken, choked up; it felt like every word she said took enormous effort to come out.

“It was… ever since mum died… there was no exit… I was… it was as if I was trapped inside of me… I knew I needed to get out, but… I… I couldn’t… I couldn’t do it by myself! But then… The Phantom Thieves, they  _ helped  _ me, and...”

“ _ Futaba _ ...”

“The Phantom Thieves… saved me. They stole my messed-up heart...” Futaba whispered, and dropped her hands to her knees to stop them from shaking. Akira looked over at Sojiro; he was looking at her with a completely different expression now, his eyes filled with pain mirroring her own. Perhaps completely out of place, Akira felt enormous love and respect for the older man. In the end, he did his best to help her; help all of them. In the end, all he wanted was her best... 

“Futaba’s telling the truth, Boss,” Goro said quietly when the silence stretched too long and tense between them.

“What were you  _ thinking _ ?!” Sojiro stared at Futaba, seemingly ignoring Goro for now. Akira took a deep breath, but he didn’t have time to get his words out.

“These people are called criminals by the general public! You couldn’t know they didn’t have bad intentions; no one knows what they–”

“She knew,” Akira said, interrupting him. Sojiro looked up at him for just a moment, but this was enough. “She knew because we’ve talked to her before that. We couldn’t have stolen her heart otherwise.” 

Sojiro stared at him blankly, his mouth hanging open. Goro squeezed Akira’s hand under the table before speaking again.

“What we’re trying to say, Boss… is that we are the Phantom Thieves.” 

It took… a while, to get Sojiro to accept what they had just said. He was disbelieving at first; angry afterwards, but in the end, he simply couldn’t argue. Just like Akira had remembered from the first time, the fact the Phantom Thieves had saved Futaba - even if she joined afterwards - ended up outweighing everything else. Sojiro was left in shock and disbelief, but far from threatening to throw Akira out or worse yet - report all of them.

It took longer still before they told him the whole story. Akira left out his time-travelling for now - Sojiro had enough to come to terms with without that - but they told him everything else. How he and Goro met by accident; how they ended up straying into Kamoshida’s Palace and couldn’t just let innocent classmates get raped by the bastard. How afterwards, they formed their group; how they saved Yusuke, how they helped Makoto. How Goro had asked for them to help Futaba before undertaking anything else. 

“But how did you know?” Sojiro asked, after a long pause of just listening to their explanations. “I know the prosecutor lady knew of Wakaba, but–”

“I knew,” Goro said, staring down at the table, “Because I was the one responsible for all of Futaba’s misery. She overstates my help; all I ever did was try to repair the terrible wrong I did her.” Goro sighed, and then looked up at Sojiro.

“I’m the one responsible for the death of Wakaba Isshiki.” 

It was another one of the moments Akira really couldn’t read how Sojiro might react - and he and Futaba made use of the older man’s shock, hurrying with explanations, with excuses, even despite Goro’s protests that  _ no, he was the one at fault _ , even if he  _ was  _ manipulated into it…

Sojiro stared at each of them in turn, looking very shaken; though Akira noticed the mention of Shido’s name made him bristle up. Slowly, he looked back at Goro again. It was Akira’s turn to squeeze his boyfriend’s hand under the table.

“...what was a kid like you doing, running errands for Shido, of all people?” Was the only thing he asked. Goro let out a laugh that had no humour in it whatsoever. 

“A kid like me was being stupid.” He replied, with a mirthless smile. “It was… it still is a revenge plot, Boss. When I was fifteen, and a child spat out of the foster system, with no money, no relatives, no influence… I had only one thing, and that was my desire to personally throw the man who made my life so into hell.”

“How did Shido–”

“Masayoshi Shido is my biological father,” Goro stated, grimacing. “My mother… he liked her, and she was in love with him, but she was smart enough not to give herself over right away. The only fault in her plans was, Shido didn’t  _ care  _ for consent. Afterwards, and after he found out she was pregnant, well… a bastard son and a result of rape at that hardly matched his image. We were tossed away and forced into silence. My mother… she tried, but living with the constant reminder of what happened to her proven too much. She didn’t live long afterwards, and I was left–”

“ _ Shido  _ is your  _ father _ ?” Sojiro’s gaze bore into Goro, and Akira blinked, seeing how pale he had suddenly gotten. And then, he watched in shock as Boss stood up, his face a  _ mask _ with no discernable emotion on it as he stared at Goro.

“ _ Get out _ .”

“Boss!” Akira leapt to his feet, and Futaba mirrored his action, ignoring Morgana’s yelp as the cat fell to the floor. 

“You can’t do that!”

“You don’t  _ know  _ that man!” Sojiro turned towards them. “He’s dangerous; I’ve promised myself I’ll keep you safe from him, and if  _ that boy  _ is really–”

“Shido doesn’t  _ know  _ about his son! He’s not what you’d call a doting father!” Akira yelled, still squeezing Goro’s hand. “It’s not Goro’s  _ fault  _ who his father is, you can’t  _ punish  _ him for it!”

“And it’s not like we’re going to stay away just because Goro’s not here!” Futaba yelled from Sojiro’s other side. “He killed mum, Sojiro! I’m not going to just sit back and let him go free when–”

“Your  _ mother  _ wanted you to keep  _ away  _ from him!” Sojiro shouted back. “And I’m not going to–”

“Why?” 

Goro’s voice was very quiet. He was the only person who remained seated, though his face grew pale and his lips turned into a thin line on his face. And yet, the moment he said it, all of them quieted down. Sojiro stared back at him, mouth agape, and so did Akira and Futaba. Morgana had jumped back onto the seat beside Futaba and was watching all of them, his blue eyes attentive as he listened. 

“Why did Wakaba-san want Futaba to be kept away from Shido, Boss? It doesn’t make sense.” Goro continued, in the same, strained voice. “I know he had been in some way involved in the research Wakaba-san undertook, but I know this man better than anyone here. Shido does not let his vile nature show. And even if he slipped; even if Wakaba-san knew he plotted against her; why warn  _ you  _ to keep her daughter away from him?”

Slowly, never taking his eyes off of Goro, Sojiro sat down again. He cleared his throat, and then looked away. It was clear he wasn’t sure how to reply. 

“...you really are a clever one, aren’t you?” He finally managed. Goro swallowed thickly, and then looked at Futaba, who stared back at him with wide, shocked eyes. 

“Sojiro…” She murmured, looking at the older man beside them. He sighed, closing his eyes. 

“...it’s true.” He muttered finally. “I swore I'd never say anything. It was too dangerous, Wakaba always said. Shido was a man with no morals; who knew what he’d want to use Futaba for. And so I never said anything. I kept you  _ safe _ .” He looked back at the girl, and his voice broke. 

“...even though it ended up making it all worse… I couldn’t help you. I tried to tell myself I was keeping you away from the danger; that at least as a shut-in, nothing bad would happen to you until you’re ready to resume your life. Futaba… I’m sorry. I never tried to help. I  _ couldn’t _ . In the end… you had to ask these…” 

“...you did more for me than anyone,” Futaba mumbled, sitting down and pulling her knees to her chest. “The Phantom Thieves healed my heart… but you’ve taken me in, Sojiro. Before that…” She shuddered, and her voice broke, as well. 

“I’m proud you’re my dad now, alright?” She muttered, covering her face with her hands, and Sojiro made a little sound, his eyes glistening behind his glasses. For a moment, there was silence; and then, Futaba spoke out again, in a choked up voice.

“But… I want to know the truth now, okay?”

“...Futaba doesn’t have a father.” Sojiro said, in a slightly hollow voice. “That’s what I heard the first time I asked Wakaba about you. But… it wasn’t the truth, was it? I wasn’t stupid, or blind. There was just one guy Wakaba was close to before we met. And when she started to suspect… when she thought something might happen to her, she told me…”

“I… have a  _ sister _ ?” Goro breathed, and Akira stared to the side at him, and then at Futaba. He felt his head spin; so much so, he couldn’t even quite understand the next question was directed at him. Goro whipped his head to the side, staring at him, and repeated it.

“Did you  _ know _ ?” 

“No!” Akira shook his head, looking over the table with wide eyes. “I had no… I didn’t…”

“Futaba always took after Wakaba, in appearance.” Sojiro continued on, seemingly just as much in shock at the revelation. “And you, kid, don’t look especially like that piece of shit either.”

“No… My mother always said I would look just like her if she was a boy.” Goro whispered, his eyes so wide on his face Akira thought they might end up falling off. And then, he looked at Futaba again.

“Futaba… I…” Goro said in a weak voice, and the girl let out a slightly hysterical laugh.

“I know.” She mumbled, hugging herself. “But… I’m glad it was you, after all?” 

They continued to talk; and Akira sat there, still staring in disbelief. 

Goro and Futaba… were siblings? Somehow, this couldn’t quite fit in his head. Yes, sure; they were both geniuses, they were both fatherless and having to deal with a lot. They were even both nerds, each in their own right. But…

Unwelcome, the familiar feeling of jealousy bloomed in Akira’s heart as he gently slipped his hand away from Goro’s hold and started to stroke Morgana, who jumped onto his lap now that the newfound family got pulled deep into a discussion of their stories. He wanted to groan; he shouldn’t feel like this. Even if Goro and Futaba were biologically half-siblings, that didn’t just wipe away the fact Futaba was his surrogate little sister, in that timeline or this one, in a way… it didn’t  _ matter _ , did it, that…

Goro looked over at him as Sojiro stood up, shaking his head and walking slowly behind the counter once more. Akira realized their talk must have ended and looked back at his boyfriend, trying to beat down the ugly feeling. He saw Goro frown, and then catch his arm and pull him into a hug. 

“...what is it?” He asked, and Akira felt like crying all over again. When did he become so easy to read? And, more importantly - how  _ good  _ it felt, to know his boyfriend could read him like that…

“It’s just… a lot to take in.” 

“You’re still Futaba’s big brother, in a sense.” Goro smiled down at him, and Futaba let out a weak laugh from the other side of the table. 

“You bet that, chief. Actually, now it’s official. You’re my big brother in law, right?”

Goro choked on the coffee he was about to take a sip of, and Akira stared, his cheeks suddenly blooming red. Futaba laughed at them, and once Sojiro has been told what the joke was, he laughed, too; and Akira couldn’t help but smile along with his family.

They were right, after all; all of them. And he wasn’t alone with his insecurities anymore. Now he had his boyfriend, who could read him like a book and would listen to anything he had to say. His adorable boyfriend, who blushed and choked on his drink when embarrassed, even months after their relationship started…

Akira smiled and straightened up, reaching for his own coffee. It was their last day before the whole new mission was going to start, and yet, inexplicably, Akira felt like everything was going to be alright from then on.

 

* * *

 

It was with a much lighter heart that Akira left Leblanc that day, first stopping at Akihabara and then going back to Goro’s apartment for the night. It was nice, to meet Shinya again, and to awe the boy with Futaba’s hacking skills and enlist his help. Akira felt complete again; all of his Confidants were there, ready to help him and be helped by him. Tomorrow, they will start the last act of their game, with everyone on board; today, it was the last day for them to rest and enjoy themselves freely.

Morgana fell asleep in his bag on their way back from Akihabara, but he woke up by the time Akira got to Goro’s apartment, demanding sushi. He didn’t get it this time; Akira, Goro and Yusuke all laughed as the cat first huffed and called them uncultured and then started to munch happily on the food they were preparing for supper. 

It felt nice, and homely, to cook all together. Akira wondered whether he’d feel like a bother, with Yusuke there; but he couldn’t have been more wrong. They ate and talked, laughed at each other’s jokes and gossiped a bit, studiously avoiding their plans for the next day, and the days afterwards. They will meet up tomorrow, all together, and discuss their ideas on how to deal with Okumura. For now, it was time to rest. 

The highlight of the evening came later; when they were all laying sprawled on the couch, watching a movie together. Makoto had told Hifumi about them being the Phantom Thieves and sent them all a relation of how it went over the chat. Hifumi, contrary to Shiho, didn’t realize the truth beforehand, but she still seemed less shocked about it than they could expect. 

“Apparently she said she isn’t surprised, because Makoto always seemed like a hero to her,” Goro said, grinning at his phone from where he laid, snuggled against Akira’s chest, his boyfriend’s chin resting on his shoulder. Akira smiled lightly, wrapping his arms around Goro’s waist and kissing the top of his head, looking at his phone screen as well.

“Hifumi promised her a date once the tension with her mum falls a bit?” He hummed, reading the messages. “Now there’s a motivator. I want a date, too, once the tension with Boss falls a bit.” 

“Do we need to wait until then?” Goro purred, looking up at him. Yusuke smiled at the two of them lightly before turning his attention back to the TV.

“How  _ did  _ Boss take the news?”

“Well, he wasn’t  _ happy _ .” Goro sighed, straightening up a bit in Akira’s arms. “But it’s not like we were expecting him to be. In the end, he seemed like he needed time to get it all sorted out, but on a… positive note. I’d say we’ve gained quite an ally.” 

“He’ll come around.” Akira nodded, snuggling closer to Goro. “He did the first time and back then, it was a much worse situation for all of us. As for the other thing…”

Akira broke off, hesitating, unsure whether Futaba wanted others to know. He felt Goro stiffen a bit in his arms before he relaxed again.

“What other thing?” Yusuke asked, curious. Goro hesitated, and then looked at the artist apologetically.

“I’m sorry; I promised Futaba we’ll tell everyone together, once we all meet up at Leblanc.” 

“She wanted to be able to see everyone’s reactions.” Morgana chimed in, stretching on the couch before jumping onto Yusuke’s lap. “Personally, I don’t really see what the big deal is. And you three should go to sleep soon. We have a mission tomorrow, you know!” 

“Let us finish the movie.” Akira laughed, and for the next hour or so, they did just that. Somewhere along the way, Goro’s body relaxed against his own; the brunet’s breathing turning deep and steady. Akira smiled over Goro’s sleeping form at Yusuke who nodded and turned the TV off, picking up a sleeping Morgana and carrying him to their room just as Akira carried Goro. He heard his boyfriend mumble something against his chest, saw him smile as he carried him and placed him on the bed. As he waved goodnight to Yusuke and slipped into the bed as well, slotting his body in between Goro’s and Morgana’s sleeping forms, Akira felt a strange, overwhelming feeling of calm wash over him. 

It wasn’t because of any one thing. They were safe and sound, and their plans worked well for now. Starting tomorrow, they will enter a whole new whirlwind of problems and dangers and schemes, but for tonight…

For tonight, he could see Goro fall asleep in his arms; for tonight, he could feel him curl up against him and enjoy their vulnerability.

For tonight they were all safe, and Akira felt he couldn’t ask for anything more. He’d make do with what they had already. With Futaba, with Yusuke, with all of his friends, too… it didn’t matter how the timelines changed. He had them, they were safe and happy.  _ Happier _ , really, at least, for most of them. Akira smiled, closing his eyes as he buried his face into Goro’s soft hair.

He really… needed to be grateful for what he had. Tomorrow, things could change; but now, he was happy. And he was going to enjoy it, the best he possibly could. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and big thanks to my betas, Nate and Becca! 
> 
> Next update will be on May 18th!
> 
> If you like my stories, you can find me on twitter [@mikan_writings](https://twitter.com/mikan_writings) and/or tumblr at [mikan_writings](https://mikan-writings.tumblr.com/)!


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